Look, I get it; the idea of SHL teams playing Global Series games in a country like Japan sounds thrilling and commercially attractive at first glance. After all, it presents an opportunity for fans on the other side of the Pacific to see their favorite teams up close. However, if you look deeper into it, there are more than a few reasons why this could be bad for the sport, the teams, and the players.

Hockey is a physically demanding sport that requires the players to be in great physical condition and stick to a discplined training schedule. The already packed schedule of the SHL season asks a lot of players' bodies, with frequent travel and intense gameplay. Adding long-disctance flights only increases this strain, adding to the risk of fatigue, injuries, and decreased performance on the ice. Players need time to recover and adapt to new environments, something that is compromised when they have to take trips across the ocean.

But maybe what's most important is the fact that SHL Teams are an integral part of their communities, representing more than just a franchise but a shared identity and heritage. By taking home games to other countries, there's a risk of diluting this sense of belonging and alienating core fan bases. Ice hockey thrives on the passion and support of its fans, and straying too far from its roots could erode the very foundation of the sport.