For a little piece of home and for a fun experience, try going to an NHL Global Series game! (Kristen Thoennes)
Walking around the concourse at the O2 Arena in Prague, you would think you were at a National Hockey League (NHL) arena in the States. The NHL, much like the NFL and MLB, have brought the American spirit to Europe with its Global Series. In 2024, the New Jersey Devils took on the Buffalo Sabres for two games in Prague, Czechia to full crowds of excited fans.
Because my husband is a Devils fan and loves traveling, a visit to Prague to see his favorite team was a no-brainer. He scoured the internet for tickets and found a deal on some amazing seats through Stubhub. But much like NFL and MLB tickets, they did come with a bit of a price tag.
When deciding on what hotel to stay at for our visit to Prague, we ended up choosing Pentahotel (now called Hotel PULSE8) in the Karlin neighborhood. It was a fantastic choice! Not only does the hotel have a fun vibe with its bar, pool table and big screens to watch sports, but it was dog-friendly and included a plentiful breakfast buffet. Underground parking is available at the hotel, or you can park in a more affordable parking garage on the next street over like we did. The other major perk in choosing this hotel was it being a block from a metro station and only three stops from the O2 Arena.
Once the game kicked off, it felt just like home. (Kristen Thoennes)
Walking up to the arena from the metro, it was fun to see the many fans sporting not just Devils and Sabres gear but also a variety of other NHL jerseys. I, for one, was wearing my South Carolina Stingrays jersey; they are the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) team based in my hometown of Charleston. The crowd seemed to be a mix of Americans and Czechs who all came together for an exciting night watching hockey!
Having grown up hearing the national anthem at every game, I was not sure what to expect at an international game. When they announced they had someone to perform both the US and Czech national anthems, I was pleasantly surprised. I may have gotten a little teary-eyed while listening to ours and it was lovely to hear the Czech people sing along to their beautiful national anthem.
Once the game kicked off, it felt just like home. Even the ornery American sitting next to me yelling at the refs throughout the entire game made it feel like we were back in the States. But we also heard chants of “Let’s Go Buffalo” and “Let’s Go Devils” many times during game play.
The arena was much like those we have visited in the States. (Kristen Thoennes)
The arena was much like those we have visited in the States. There were a variety of food vendors selling things like hot dogs, pizza, chicken and more along with beer, wine, coffee and other beverages. We made the mistake of waiting until the first intermission to buy food. The lines were long!
There were fan shops selling Devils and Sabres gear with the special Global Series branding. When we walked by during the first intermission it looked like they sold a lot! We saw many fans wearing the scarf.
We were extra satisfied with our trip because the Devils pulled out a win! (Kristen Thoennes)
We were extra satisfied with our trip because the Devils pulled out a win!
For a little piece of home and for a fun experience, try going to an NHL Global Series game! In 2026, fans can catch games in Finland and Dusseldorf.
November 12 & 14, 2026: Carolina Hurricanes versus Seattle Kraken at the Veikkaus Arena in Helsinki, Finland
December 18 and 20, 2026: Ottawa Senators versus Chicago Blackhawks at the PSD Bank Dome in Dusseldorf, Germany
