NHL Winter Classic
Encyclopedia
The NHL Winter Classic is an annual event held by the National Hockey League
(NHL) on New Year's Day
where regular-season games are played outdoors, in areas hosted by NHL teams. Though largely derived from the Heritage Classic
outdoor game held in Edmonton
in 2003, the Winter Classic has so far only featured US-based teams, while the Heritage Classic involves Canada-based teams. The first Winter Classic was held in 2008.
and Pittsburgh Penguins
at Ralph Wilson Stadium
in Orchard Park, New York
. This game had an NHL-record crowd of 71,217 fans in attendance. The success of the 2008 NHL Winter Classic led the NHL to schedule a second one for 2009
, held at Wrigley Field
in Chicago, Illinois
, on January 1, 2009, matching the Detroit Red Wings
against the Chicago Blackhawks
. This game had the highest American television ratings of any hockey game in 33 years. The success of the 2009 NHL Winter Classic
has solidified "The Classic" as an annual event from then on.
The third Winter Classic
was held at Fenway Park
in Boston, Massachusetts
, on January 1, 2010, featuring the Boston Bruins
and the Philadelphia Flyers
. The result was a dramatic 2–1 overtime win for Boston, making the Bruins the first home team to win an NHL outdoor game. The 2011 game was played at Heinz Field
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania between the Pittsburgh Penguins
and the Washington Capitals
with Washington winning 3–1.
Weather has proven to affect the game, with the 2011 classic being delayed due to rain. Outdoor effects of wind and sun glare may give an unfair advantage to one team, so the NHL sometimes modifies the third and overtime periods. In this case, play is stopped at the midway point and teams switch directions. This option was exercised in 2008 and again in 2011.
The Winter Classic was officially made a permanent part of the NHL schedule through at least January 1, 2021, as part of the league's television contract with NBC and Versus
.
The 2012 Winter Classic in Philadelphia will not be played on New Year's Day, as that falls on a Sunday in 2012. Instead, following precedent set by college football's bowl game
s (which move their games to Monday when January 1 lands on Sunday), the game will take place on January 2, 2012. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park
, home of the Philadelphia Phillies
. Lincoln Financial Field
, home of the Philadelphia Eagles
, reportedly would have been the preferred site, but the Eagles have a home game scheduled for January 1, and the NHL needs approximately one week of lead time to construct the outdoor rink on the playing field.
There is already speculation that Michigan Stadium
on the University of Michigan
campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan
, would be home ice for the 2013 Winter Classic on the evening of Tuesday, January 1, 2013, which would be hosted by the Detroit Red Wings
. If the Winter Classic is indeed awarded to Ann Arbor, it could break the NHL's all-time single-game attendance record due to the huge (100,000 plus) capacity of Michigan Stadium.
played an exhibition game on an outdoor ice surface, in 21 °F (-6.1 °C) degree weather, against inmates at Michigan
's Marquette Branch Prison
. After the first period the Red Wings led in the game 18–0; the score for the rest of the game was not kept.
The first outdoor game between two NHL teams was an official pre-season match-up on September 27, 1991. The game took place in the parking lot of Caesars' Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada
, and featured the Los Angeles Kings
and the New York Rangers
. The process of keeping the ice cool in the desert heat required three times as much coolant as a standard NHL rink. There were few problems despite temperatures that reached 95 °F (35 °C) during the day and a game time temperature of 80 °F (26.7 °C). During the contest grasshopper
s began to jump onto the ice, where they would freeze or drown in water used to maintain the ice, by the end of the second period the ice was littered with the bugs. Nearly 14,000 fans watched the Kings defeat the Rangers 5–2. Since 1997, the Los Angeles Kings have returned to Las Vegas, though indoors, to play an annual preseason game in the Frozen Fury
series.
The first regular season outdoor game in the history of the National Hockey League took place on November 22, 2003, at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium
. The 2003 Heritage Classic was played between the Edmonton Oilers
and the Montreal Canadiens
. A second Heritage Classic
was played on February 20, 2011, at McMahon Stadium
in Calgary between the Calgary Flames
and the Montreal Canadiens.
Notes:
The throwback sweaters are very popular with fans, and teams have often continued to wear them after the Winter Classic. The Penguins and Blackhawks made their Winter Classic sweaters their alternates the next season. The Flyers went a step further and made their Winter Classic sweaters their road sweaters for 2010–11. The Sabres had already been using a variation of their throwback sweater prior to their appearance (that particular season, there were no third sweaters anywhere in the league) and adopted a slightly updated version of the sweaters as their main uniform in 2010–11, while the 2011 conestants, the Penguins and Capitals, will wear their classic unis as third jerseys in 2011-12.
only to lose that series. The 2007–2008 Pittsburgh Penguins
were the visiting team against the 2007–2008 Buffalo Sabres
, only to lose to the Detroit Red Wings
in the 2008 Finals
. The 2008–2009 Detroit Red Wings visited the 2008–2009 Chicago Blackhawks
, only to lose to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2009 Finals
. The 2009–2010 Philadelphia Flyers
visited the 2009–2010 Boston Bruins
, only to go on to lose to the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2010 Finals
. The Washington Capitals
would break this trend, losing in the 2011 Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Also of note, though, one of the teams in the Winter Classic games (more specifically, the team wearing the dark jersey) has gone on to win the Stanley Cup in the subsequent season, starting with the Pittsburgh Penguins
winning the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals
after their 2008 Winter Classic victory, and the Chicago Blackhawks
winning the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals
after their loss in the 2009 Winter Classic. The Boston Bruins, winners of the 2010 Winter Classic, later won the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals
.
. Its popularity in the United States led to the American Hockey League
adopting a similar contest in 2010, the AHL Outdoor Classic, which it reprised in 2011. Despite the overwhelming popularity of the original Heritage Classic between the Montreal Canadiens and the Edmonton Oilers in 2003, the popularity of the Winter Classic in Canada is low and declining. On Canada's CBC Television
network, the Winter Classic has lower ratings than its weekly regular season telecasts Hockey Night in Canada
. This has been attributed to the lack of Canadian teams in any of the Winter Classics and has led to a revival of the all-Canadian Heritage Classic
.
Sports Illustrated
columnist Dan Shaughnessy
said of the new Winter Classic, “[N]ow hockey owns New Year's Day the way baseball owns the Fourth of July and football owns Thanksgiving.”
, Cowboys Stadium, Target Field
, FedEx Field, Sun Devil Stadium
, Busch Stadium
, Michigan Stadium
, Coors Field
, Yankee Stadium
, Ohio Stadium
, Comerica Park
, MetLife Stadium, Gillette Stadium
, and even non-sports venues like the Las Vegas Strip
, the National Mall
, or Central Park
.
The next Winter Classic will take place on January 2, 2012, at Citizens Bank Park
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Flyers will host the New York Rangers
on the first Winter Classic to not be played on New Year's Day.
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) on New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
where regular-season games are played outdoors, in areas hosted by NHL teams. Though largely derived from the Heritage Classic
Heritage Classic
The Heritage Classic was an outdoor ice hockey game played on November 22, 2003, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens. It was the first National Hockey League game to be played outdoors as a part of regular season play...
outdoor game held in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
in 2003, the Winter Classic has so far only featured US-based teams, while the Heritage Classic involves Canada-based teams. The first Winter Classic was held in 2008.
History
The Winter Classic as a television event was the brainchild of NBC Sports Executive VP Jon Miller. He pitched the idea to the NHL in 2004 "but they didn't find the concept workable" In December 2006, Miller found an ally in then Executive VP/Business & Media John Collins who embraced the idea. The first Winter Classic was held January 1, 2008, between the Buffalo SabresBuffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
and Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
at Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL...
in Orchard Park, New York
Orchard Park (town), New York
Orchard Park is a town in Erie County, New York, a suburb southeast of Buffalo, New York. According to the 2010 census, the population is 29,054. This represents an increase of 5.13% from the 2000 census figure. The town contains a village also named Orchard Park. Orchard Park is one of the...
. This game had an NHL-record crowd of 71,217 fans in attendance. The success of the 2008 NHL Winter Classic led the NHL to schedule a second one for 2009
2009 NHL Winter Classic
The 2009 NHL Winter Classic, also known as the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic 2009, was a specially staged National Hockey League regular-season game played outdoors on January 1, 2009 at 12:36 p.m. CST at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois...
, held at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
in Chicago, Illinois
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, on January 1, 2009, matching the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
against the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
. This game had the highest American television ratings of any hockey game in 33 years. The success of the 2009 NHL Winter Classic
2009 NHL Winter Classic
The 2009 NHL Winter Classic, also known as the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic 2009, was a specially staged National Hockey League regular-season game played outdoors on January 1, 2009 at 12:36 p.m. CST at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois...
has solidified "The Classic" as an annual event from then on.
The third Winter Classic
2010 NHL Winter Classic
The 2010 NHL Winter Classic, known as the 2010 NHL Winter Classic presented by Bridgestone via corporate sponsorship, was the third edition of the NHL Winter Classic, an annual outdoor ice hockey game held by the National Hockey League , played on January 1, 2010, as a regular season game at...
was held at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
in Boston, Massachusetts
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, on January 1, 2010, featuring the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
and the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. The result was a dramatic 2–1 overtime win for Boston, making the Bruins the first home team to win an NHL outdoor game. The 2011 game was played at Heinz Field
Heinz Field
Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania between the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
and the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
with Washington winning 3–1.
Weather has proven to affect the game, with the 2011 classic being delayed due to rain. Outdoor effects of wind and sun glare may give an unfair advantage to one team, so the NHL sometimes modifies the third and overtime periods. In this case, play is stopped at the midway point and teams switch directions. This option was exercised in 2008 and again in 2011.
The Winter Classic was officially made a permanent part of the NHL schedule through at least January 1, 2021, as part of the league's television contract with NBC and Versus
NHL on Versus
The NHL on Versus was the former branding used for National Hockey League games broadcast on Versus. Versus became the NHL's cable partner in the United States beginning in the 2005-06 season from previous partner ESPN, providing coverage of regular season games, playoff games, and select games...
.
The 2012 Winter Classic in Philadelphia will not be played on New Year's Day, as that falls on a Sunday in 2012. Instead, following precedent set by college football's bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
s (which move their games to Monday when January 1 lands on Sunday), the game will take place on January 2, 2012. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
, home of the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532 . It is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and 10th streets, also aside I-95 as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
, home of the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, reportedly would have been the preferred site, but the Eagles have a home game scheduled for January 1, and the NHL needs approximately one week of lead time to construct the outdoor rink on the playing field.
There is already speculation that Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
on the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
, would be home ice for the 2013 Winter Classic on the evening of Tuesday, January 1, 2013, which would be hosted by the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. If the Winter Classic is indeed awarded to Ann Arbor, it could break the NHL's all-time single-game attendance record due to the huge (100,000 plus) capacity of Michigan Stadium.
Other NHL outdoor games
The first outdoor game to feature an NHL team was held on February 2, 1954. The Detroit Red WingsDetroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
played an exhibition game on an outdoor ice surface, in 21 °F (-6.1 °C) degree weather, against inmates at Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
's Marquette Branch Prison
Marquette Branch Prison
The Marquette Branch Prison is located in Marquette, Michigan on the south shore of Lake Superior. The prison, which opened in 1889, is a state facility that holds about 1,100 inmates in maximum and minimum-security housing. The inmate population consists of adult males, aged twenty-one and older...
. After the first period the Red Wings led in the game 18–0; the score for the rest of the game was not kept.
The first outdoor game between two NHL teams was an official pre-season match-up on September 27, 1991. The game took place in the parking lot of Caesars' Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, and featured the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
and the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. The process of keeping the ice cool in the desert heat required three times as much coolant as a standard NHL rink. There were few problems despite temperatures that reached 95 °F (35 °C) during the day and a game time temperature of 80 °F (26.7 °C). During the contest grasshopper
Grasshopper
The grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper...
s began to jump onto the ice, where they would freeze or drown in water used to maintain the ice, by the end of the second period the ice was littered with the bugs. Nearly 14,000 fans watched the Kings defeat the Rangers 5–2. Since 1997, the Los Angeles Kings have returned to Las Vegas, though indoors, to play an annual preseason game in the Frozen Fury
Frozen Fury
Frozen Fury is an annual pre-season ice hockey game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League , held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, first played in 1997. On two occasions, the Kings have faced different teams instead of the...
series.
The first regular season outdoor game in the history of the National Hockey League took place on November 22, 2003, at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium
Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton)
Commonwealth Stadium is a sports stadium located in the Norwood Area of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, primarily used by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. The stadium is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton.- History :...
. The 2003 Heritage Classic was played between the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
and the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. A second Heritage Classic
2011 Heritage Classic
The 2011 Heritage Classic was a regular season outdoor National Hockey League game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Calgary Flames. The game was played at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on February 20, 2011. The Flames defeated the Canadiens by a score of 4–0 before a crowd of...
was played on February 20, 2011, at McMahon Stadium
McMahon Stadium
McMahon Stadium is a Canadian football stadium located in Calgary, Alberta. The stadium is owned by the University of Calgary and operated by the McMahon Stadium Society....
in Calgary between the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
and the Montreal Canadiens.
List of NHL Winter Classics
| Year | Site | Home team | Away team | Score | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Ralph Wilson Stadium Ralph Wilson Stadium Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL... , Orchard Park, New York Orchard Park (town), New York Orchard Park is a town in Erie County, New York, a suburb southeast of Buffalo, New York. According to the 2010 census, the population is 29,054. This represents an increase of 5.13% from the 2000 census figure. The town contains a village also named Orchard Park. Orchard Park is one of the... |
Buffalo Sabres | Pittsburgh Penguins | 2–1 (SO) | 71,217 |
| 2009 2009 NHL Winter Classic The 2009 NHL Winter Classic, also known as the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic 2009, was a specially staged National Hockey League regular-season game played outdoors on January 1, 2009 at 12:36 p.m. CST at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois... |
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales... , Chicago, Illinois Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
Chicago Blackhawks | Detroit Red Wings | 6–4 | 40,818 |
| 2010 2010 NHL Winter Classic The 2010 NHL Winter Classic, known as the 2010 NHL Winter Classic presented by Bridgestone via corporate sponsorship, was the third edition of the NHL Winter Classic, an annual outdoor ice hockey game held by the National Hockey League , played on January 1, 2010, as a regular season game at... |
Fenway Park Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"... , Boston, Massachusetts Boston Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had... |
Boston Bruins 2009–10 Boston Bruins season The 2009–10 Boston Bruins season is the Bruins' 86th season in the National Hockey League . Their regular season began with a nationally-televised home game against the Washington Capitals on October 1, 2009, and ended with a road game against the same Capitals team on April 11, 2010... |
Philadelphia Flyers | 2–1 (OT) | 38,112 |
| 2011 2011 NHL Winter Classic The 2011 NHL Winter Classic was the fourth edition of the annual outdoor ice hockey game held by the National Hockey League as a regular season game. The Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the Washington Capitals at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA on January 1, 2011 at 8:00 p.m... |
Heinz Field Heinz Field Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively... , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
Pittsburgh Penguins | Washington Capitals | 3–1 | 68,111 |
| 2012 2012 NHL Winter Classic The 2012 NHL Winter Classic will be played on Monday, January 2, 2012. The fifth annual outdoor regular season National Hockey League game will be played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies with the host Philadelphia Flyers playing against their... |
Citizens Bank Park Citizens Bank Park Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the... , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Philadelphia Flyers 2011–12 Philadelphia Flyers season The 2011–12 Philadelphia Flyers season is the Flyers' 45th season in the National Hockey League.-Standings:-Game Log:The 2011–12 Philadelphia Flyers season is the Flyers' 45th season in the National Hockey League.-Standings:-Game Log:... |
New York Rangers 2011–12 New York Rangers season The 2011–12 New York Rangers season will be the National Hockey League franchise's 85th season of play and their 86th season overall.-Off-season:... |
TBD | TBD |
Notes:
- The 2008 Winter Classic was colloquially called the "Ice Bowl" around Buffalo. It was also the only Winter Classic (as of 2011) to have a shootout. It was voted the best Winter Classic in an NHL.com poll.
- The 2009 Winter Classic was the first to feature two Original SixOriginal SixThe Original Six is a term for the group of six teams that composed the National Hockey League for the 25 seasons between the 1942–43 season and the 1967 NHL Expansion. These six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the...
teams, as well as the first to be played in a baseball stadium. - The 2010 Winter Classic was the first to be won by the home team. It was also the first without Ty ConklinTy ConklinTy Curtis Conklin is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League....
as a goalie and Brian CampbellBrian CampbellBrian Wesley Campbell is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, an alternate captain for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...
as a defenseman. Conklin played for Pittsburgh, and Campbell played for Buffalo in the 2008 Winter Classic. Conklin played for Detroit, and Campbell played for Chicago in the 2009 Winter Classic. This Winter Classic was also the first containing an official fight, a bout that featured Philadelphia's Dan Carcillo scrapping with Boston's Shawn ThorntonShawn ThorntonShawn Thornton is a Canadian professional hockey forward for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. He is known to be an enforcer.-Playing career:...
. - The 2011 Winter Classic was the second involving the Pittsburgh Penguins. This was the first weekend Winter Classic and the first time the game was delayed from its original start time, thus the first to air in prime timePrime timePrime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
. 2011 was also the first time it rained during the Winter Classic.
Throwback sweaters
Ever since the first Heritage Classic it has been tradition to wear throwback or retro-style sweaters. The retro sweaters worn in the Winter Classic have been as follows:- 2008 Pittsburgh Penguins: 1970–71
- 2008 Buffalo Sabres: 1970–71
- 2009 Detroit Red Wings: 1926–27 Detroit Cougars
- 2009 Chicago Blackhawks: 1935–36 design with 1948–49 logo
- 2010 Philadelphia Flyers: 1973–74 with modern font for their numbers and a black nameplate
- 2010 Boston Bruins: 1958–59 design with brown stripes instead of black and 1948–49 inspired logo
- 2011 Washington Capitals: 1974–75
- 2011 Pittsburgh Penguins: 1967–68 sweater with colors reversed and crest logo instead of diagonal "Pittsburgh" lettering that appeared on original jerseys
- 2012 Philadelphia Flyers: Traditional sweater design in orange with black numbers and off-white trim. Striping on shoulders, arms and tail is different from the current sweaters. The stiping design was inspired by a sock design the team wore in the 1980s.
- 2012 New York Rangers: Traditional sweater design in off-white with straight-lined player names and blue numbers with red trim rather than drop-shadow. Striping on shoulders, arms and tail is a variation of the ones they currently use, and crest logo a modern variation of the 1930s shield logo.
The throwback sweaters are very popular with fans, and teams have often continued to wear them after the Winter Classic. The Penguins and Blackhawks made their Winter Classic sweaters their alternates the next season. The Flyers went a step further and made their Winter Classic sweaters their road sweaters for 2010–11. The Sabres had already been using a variation of their throwback sweater prior to their appearance (that particular season, there were no third sweaters anywhere in the league) and adopted a slightly updated version of the sweaters as their main uniform in 2010–11, while the 2011 conestants, the Penguins and Capitals, will wear their classic unis as third jerseys in 2011-12.
Winter Classic–related playoff trends
Since the inception of the NHL's Winter Classic outdoor game starting during the 2007–08 NHL season, the away team in each instance has gone on to the Stanley Cup FinalsStanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
only to lose that series. The 2007–2008 Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
were the visiting team against the 2007–2008 Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
, only to lose to the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
in the 2008 Finals
2008 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2008 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the National Hockey League champion for the 2007–08 season. As a culmination of the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings defeated the Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh...
. The 2008–2009 Detroit Red Wings visited the 2008–2009 Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, only to lose to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2009 Finals
2009 Stanley Cup Finals
The Red Wings took Game 1, 3–1, as three different Detroit players scored goals off of unusual bounces. The first period featured back and forth action, with each team having a variety of chances...
. The 2009–2010 Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
visited the 2009–2010 Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, only to go on to lose to the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2010 Finals
2010 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2010 Stanley Cup Final was the championship series of the National Hockey League season. As the culmination of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Flyers faced the Western Conference champion Chicago Blackhawks...
. The Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
would break this trend, losing in the 2011 Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Also of note, though, one of the teams in the Winter Classic games (more specifically, the team wearing the dark jersey) has gone on to win the Stanley Cup in the subsequent season, starting with the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
winning the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals
2009 Stanley Cup Finals
The Red Wings took Game 1, 3–1, as three different Detroit players scored goals off of unusual bounces. The first period featured back and forth action, with each team having a variety of chances...
after their 2008 Winter Classic victory, and the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
winning the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals
2010 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2010 Stanley Cup Final was the championship series of the National Hockey League season. As the culmination of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Flyers faced the Western Conference champion Chicago Blackhawks...
after their loss in the 2009 Winter Classic. The Boston Bruins, winners of the 2010 Winter Classic, later won the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals
2011 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2011 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League , and the culmination of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was the 118th year of the Stanley Cup's presentation. The Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins defeated the Western Conference Champion Vancouver...
.
Impact
The Winter Classic has proven to be a ratings success for the league in the United States and is regularly the league's most watched regular season contest (in the US), rivaling the ratings for the Stanley CupStanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
. Its popularity in the United States led to the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
adopting a similar contest in 2010, the AHL Outdoor Classic, which it reprised in 2011. Despite the overwhelming popularity of the original Heritage Classic between the Montreal Canadiens and the Edmonton Oilers in 2003, the popularity of the Winter Classic in Canada is low and declining. On Canada's CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
network, the Winter Classic has lower ratings than its weekly regular season telecasts Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
. This has been attributed to the lack of Canadian teams in any of the Winter Classics and has led to a revival of the all-Canadian Heritage Classic
Heritage Classic
The Heritage Classic was an outdoor ice hockey game played on November 22, 2003, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens. It was the first National Hockey League game to be played outdoors as a part of regular season play...
.
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
columnist Dan Shaughnessy
Dan Shaughnessy
Dan Shaughnessy is an American sports writer.-Career:After graduating from the College of the Holy Cross, Shaughnessy began his career as a beat reporter covering the Baltimore Orioles for the Baltimore Sun in 1977. He has been a sports writer for the Boston Globe for approximately 30 years,...
said of the new Winter Classic, “[N]ow hockey owns New Year's Day the way baseball owns the Fourth of July and football owns Thanksgiving.”
Future sites
Due to the popularity of the event, nearly every team has requested to participate in the Winter Classic either as the host or the visiting team. Numerous locations have been mentioned in the media as potential sites for future Winter Classics, including Citi Field, the Rose BowlRose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
, Cowboys Stadium, Target Field
Target Field
Target Field is a baseball park located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the home ballpark of the Minnesota Twins, the city's Major League Baseball franchise. It is the franchise's sixth ballpark and third in Minnesota. The Twins moved to Target Field for the 2010 Major League Baseball...
, FedEx Field, Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor football stadium, located on the campus of Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The stadium's current seating capacity is 71,706 and the playing surface is natural grass...
, Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...
, Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
, Coors Field
Coors Field
Coors Field, located in Denver, Colorado, is the home field of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. It is named for the Coors Brewing Company of Golden, Colorado, which purchased the naming rights to the park prior to its completion in 1995...
, Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
, Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium is the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and is located on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on March 22, 1974...
, Comerica Park
Comerica Park
Comerica Park is an open-air ballpark located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It serves as the home of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball's American League, replacing historic Tiger Stadium in 2000....
, MetLife Stadium, Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution...
, and even non-sports venues like the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
, the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
, or Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
.
The next Winter Classic will take place on January 2, 2012, at Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Flyers will host the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
on the first Winter Classic to not be played on New Year's Day.
See also
- Heritage ClassicHeritage ClassicThe Heritage Classic was an outdoor ice hockey game played on November 22, 2003, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens. It was the first National Hockey League game to be played outdoors as a part of regular season play...
- List of NHL Winter Classic broadcasters
- Cold War (ice hockey)Cold War (ice hockey)The Cold War was a college ice hockey game played between U.S. college rivals Michigan State University and the University of Michigan on Saturday, October 6, 2001...
- Pond hockeyPond hockeyPond hockey is a form of ice hockey very similar in its object and appearance to traditional ice hockey, but far simpler and designed to be played on part of a natural frozen body of water...
- AHL Outdoor Classic
- The Big Chill at the Big House