The Tampa Bay Lightning will play an exhibition game against Slovakian champion Slovan Bratislava on Tuesday, September 30, 2008, at Samsung Arena in Bratislava. The game will be played at 7 p.m. local time/1 p.m. ET. It is the first-ever NHL exhibition game in Slovakia.

The Lightning will prepare for the NHL season opener in Prague (Oct. 4-5 vs. the New York Rangers) against two Champions Hockey League teams. Two days prior to the game in Bratislava, Tampa Bay will face German champion Eisbaren Berlin in the German capital.

The Rangers have an exhibition game against SC Bern on September 30 and the Victoria Cup game against European club champion Metallurg Magnitigorsk (Russia) in Bern, Switzerland, on October 1.

Along with the games in Prague, the NHL will host regular-season games in Stockholm Oct. 4-5 when the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins play two games. It is the first time two NHL games will be played in Europe on the same day. In 2007, the NHL had its first-ever regular-season games in Europe when the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings played a two-game series in London. Previously, the NHL hosted three successful Game One events in Japan in 1997, 1998, and 2000.