Per Larry Brooks, it looks like the Rangers will not open in Europe next year. It was previously expected that the Blueshirts would open next season and the year after in Europe because of the ongoing construction at The Garden, but next year is different.

With the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expiring at the end of the season, the NHL could not secure dates for any NHL team to travel to Europe to open the season. Although no lockout is expected, the NHL couldn’t commit to any dates.

Instead, it looks like the Rangers will simply open the season on an extended road trip to the west coast, and slowly travel back east until the end of October when The Garden opens again.

This isn’t exactly unexpected, as the end of the current CBA has been one of those situations that has been forced to the back of our minds for a while. There are many hot topics to be discussed. And although another lockout is expected, there is no guarantee that the labor situation will be resolved in time to send teams to Europe in September.

Considering how the Rangers played in October, and their hectic travel schedule to open this season, this may be a blessing.

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