The New York Times-20080127-Rangers to Open in Prague- Maybe-

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Rangers to Open in Prague. Maybe.

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ATLANTA -- The N.H.L. said Saturday that it had chosen the Rangers and three other teams to serve as ambassadors in Europe, but the players union is not so sure.

The league announced that the Rangers would play the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 4 and 5 at Sazka Arena in Prague.

The league also said the Rangers would play Oct. 1 in the inaugural Victoria Cup in Bern, Switzerland, against the European club champion, Metallurg Magnitogorsk of Russia. The International Ice Hockey Federation, which organized the game, wants to have an annual game between the European champion and an N.H.L. team.

Paul Kelly, the executive director of the N.H.L. Players' Association, said that details of the European games had yet not been worked out.

Kelly told reporters: Did I know that they had the Victoria Cup on the drawing board and the Rangers on the drawing board? Yes I did. Did I know that they were going to announce it today? No I didn't.

The league also said the Ottawa Senators and the Pittsburgh Penguins would play in Stockholm on Oct. 4 and 5.