Rangers to play special exhibition game in Gothenburg, Sweden, against Frolunda on Sept. 30

New York/Toronto – The New York Rangers will play a special exhibition game against the Frolunda Indians of the Swedish Elite League at the Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Friday, Sept. 30, as part of the 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere Challenge.  

Tickets for this special game go on sale tomorrow, June 21, at 9:00 a.m. local time in Gothenburg.  For more information on purchasing tickets visit www.ticnet.se.

It will be a unique return home for Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who played five seasons for Frolunda before coming to the NHL.  In 2005, his last in Sweden before joining the Rangers, Henrik captured both the Golden Puck and the Golden Helmet awards for outstanding play.  To make the occasion even more special, Henrik, a two-time NHL All-Star, will oppose his twin brother Joel, who plays for the Indians.

Frolunda has faced NHL competition before.  On Oct. 2, 2008, the Ottawa Senators played an exhibition game at the Scandinavium.  Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson, a Gothenburg native and former Frolunda player, returned to score a goal and an assist in the Senators’ 4-1 victory.

In 1981, the Rangers participated in the DN (Dagens Nyheter) Cup in Sweden, a tournament that featured elite Swedish clubs, including Frölunda.  The teams finished 1-2 in the standings, with the Rangers claiming the Cup.

The Rangers will open their 2011-12 NHL regular season by playing two games at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, on Friday, Oct. 7 against the Los Angeles Kings and Saturday, Oct. 8 against the Anaheim Ducks.  2011 Compuware NHL Premiere™ marks a record fifth consecutive season the NHL will be playing regular-season games in Europe.  NHL teams will play a total of four games in three different European capital cities – Berlin, Stockholm and Helsinki – Oct. 7-8, 2011.  Last year, six NHL teams – the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks – opened the 2010-11 NHL regular season by playing six games in Europe.  

By the end of 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere™, 17 NHL teams – over half of the NHL – will have played regular-season and exhibition games in Europe since 2007.  A complete overseas history of the NHL is available on media.NHL.com. More information on 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere™ will be released at a later date, including broadcast information, training camp schedules and complete preseason schedules.