2010 NHL Winter Classic To Boston...

[DelayedPenalty]

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Hamilton Tigers at BMO Field, January 2013

[oddball]

any new news on the winter classic?

From reports, and I think I saw it on NHL.com, or was it ESPN, or was it Fox Sports, I don't know, but rumors have Boston vs. either Philly or Washington. To me I'd prefer Washington as they play a more exciting brand (not necessarily smart) of hockey than does Philly and for a game like this, you want excitement.

[SenatorJake]

any new news on the winter classic?

From reports, and I think I saw it on NHL.com, or was it ESPN, or was it Fox Sports, I don't know, but rumors have Boston vs. either Philly or Washington. To me I'd prefer Washington as they play a more exciting brand (not necessarily smart) of hockey than does Philly and for a game like this, you want excitement.

I think the Boston Bruins vs. the New York Rangers would be great for ratings in the U.S.

[charger77]

Ovechkin + Outdoors could = ratings gold though.

-Dan

[scarsofthumper]

any new news on the winter classic?

From reports, and I think I saw it on NHL.com, or was it ESPN, or was it Fox Sports, I don't know, but rumors have Boston vs. either Philly or Washington. To me I'd prefer Washington as they play a more exciting brand (not necessarily smart) of hockey than does Philly and for a game like this, you want excitement.

I think the Boston Bruins vs. the New York Rangers would be great for ratings in the U.S.

I think they'd rather have the Rangers host one at NYS

[The_Admiral]

I think the Boston Bruins vs. the New York Rangers would be great for ratings in the U.S.

Not really. Nobody cares about the Bruins or the Rangers.

for a game like this, you want excitement.

Unless it's exciting Wing-hitting, in which case they'll politely ask you to stop.

[oddball]

What is the fascination with the Rangers? As a hockey fan I look at them as a completely over-rated, over-hyped team.

[SenatorJake]

What is the fascination with the Rangers? As a hockey fan I look at them as a completely over-rated, over-hyped team.

I wasn't talking about the calibre of the Rangers' hockey club but more from a marketing standpoint.

Isn't there a bitter Boston/New York rivalry? That might help sell the Winter Classic on NBC.

[speedy]

What is the fascination with the Rangers? As a hockey fan I look at them as a completely over-rated, over-hyped team.

I wasn't talking about the calibre of the Rangers' hockey club but more from a marketing standpoint.

Isn't there a bitter Boston/New York rivalry? That might help sell the Winter Classic on NBC.

In Baseball, and even then it doesn't seem to have the same bitterness as in years past (pre 2004).

I could personally care less about them in hockey. Bring on Washington.

[The_Admiral]

I'm trying to think of players from the Rags and B's that most people would have heard of. I've got Sean Avery and that's it. So you can't really market individual players; what else is new. This year it was Old Rivalry With Hot New Team And Holy Crap It's At The Pretty Baseball Park, so I guess next year it'll be EPIC BOSTON/NEW YORK BATTLE...ON ICE! or something. With an angle like that, ESPN might try to steal the rights. I don't know. When I think of the Bruins' archrivals, I think of the Canadiens, but NBC might not care to show the Canadiens.

Washington-Pittsburgh seems like the best bet to me, but Heinz Field would be hard to procure because the Steelers aren't crappy. PNC, maybe?

[officeglenn]

I'm pretty sure I heard ? I think it was on the Hotstove on CBC ? that it was going to be Boston and Washington, and that the NHL was looking at Boston-Montreal, but Montreal wants to have their own game in Olympic Stadium in November.

Of course, I have nothing to back this up aside from my own memory, and I could have been hallucinating. It happens.

[patsox]

I'm pretty sure I heard ? I think it was on the Hotstove on CBC ? that it was going to be Boston and Washington, and that the NHL was looking at Boston-Montreal, but Montreal wants to have their own game in Olympic Stadium in November.

Of course, I have nothing to back this up aside from my own memory, and I could have been hallucinating. It happens.

I seriously do hope it's Boston-Washington. In a perfect world, I would like to see Montreal-Boston, but since NBC televises the game that obviously will not happen. However, Caps-B's is turning into quite the rivalry and would sort of make up for the lost playoff series that should've been. No matter who the Bruins end up playing though, it should be a great game if only because the game will be held at "Americas Most Beloved Ballpark".

[JQK]

Boston-Washington makes me yawn. Boston-Philly is ok because there is still that bitterness from the 70's. To me the Winter classic, in only two years, has become THE event to watch on New Years. It's before the Rose Bowl, and the other Whogivesa Bowls are not the biggest competition. Saying that, it seem to me you could have Boston-Montreal and still pull the ratings. I know it will most likey be Washington since the NHL wants its biggest star on the biggest stage, but i alwys liked rivalries over individules.

Maybe we'll get to see the Caps star-spangled throwbacks...

EDIT: Minus the white pants.

[The_Admiral]

I thought they just did America's most beloved ballpark. Ah, hell, I can't keep track anymore.

I love the Winter Classic and will watch it no matter what the matchup is (within reason; a Panthers-Predators tilt wouldn't keep me around). I'd like to think it's becoming THE event for New Year's, as you said, but too many people I know still preferred the Not Citrus Bowl running against the Classic last January, and they didn't even have a dog in the fight (Michigan State and somebody?). They just love their new yurs collge footbaw, I guess. You could trot out two uninspiringly mediocre teams (which I think that bowl generally does) for an exhibition game of football below the major league calibre, and it still beats a major league hockey game that matters, in a walkover. Such is life.

[TFoA]

I'm from the south, grew up watching college football ALL DAY on New Year's, and for the past couple of years I've watched the Winter Classic over the lame ass bowl that's going up against it, just because of the fact that...dammit, hockey outside > generally meaningless bowl game in which I have no dog in the fight.

But yeah...unless there's basically a carbon copy of the Pens/Sabres classic every year for the next ten years, the classic ain't gonna eclipse whatever bowl game it's going against in viewers.

With that said, it SHOULD be Bruins/Canadiens. Hell, I'd actually do Bruins/Rangers before Bruins/Capitals (though the thought of the Caps in those awesome throwbacks would be pretty cool.). But oh well.

[Brass]

In any case, if the game is held at Fenway this year, I'm gonna do my best to get tickets. Would love a Hurricanes/Bruins matchup, JUST to see them bust out the Whaler throwbacks. I mean, the NHL did just acquire the rights....

[Don]

as a Caps fan i would be honored to be in the Winter Classic but honestly i think a Caps/Pens matchup would be much better for ratings and if theyre going to hold it at Fenway make it Habs/Bruins. hockey fans will watch and if you sell the tradition of the two teams combined with the rivalry (in other words, if the NHL actually knew marketing) this would still be a ratings hit in the US, Canadian team or not.

[philly97flyer]

Just curious with some of the talk about the Flyers possible participation in this thing, but does anyone happen to know if the visiting teams full season ticket holders got a crack at tickets for the previous 2 Winter Classics?