NCAA Hockey as part of the Winter Classic

[BuckeyeMike20]

Re: NCAA Hockey as part of the Winter Classic

You need to understand the reason for the Winter Classic. It's for the NHL to expand interest, which is why it has done it in larger metro areas that don't have hockey as a major focus.

It will not be in Minnesota or Canada until it becomes more of a traditional event as opposed to a repeated novelty. It would be counterproductive to have it in those types of locations as of now. Denver, OTOH, would be a possibility--but New York is the prime location.

So hold two of them. Give the Canadians their own event, say Leafs-Habs at BMO in Toronto, and show it only on TSN. Meanwhile you can have Rangers-Devils in NY on NBC and everyone is happy.

[blockski]

Re: NCAA Hockey as part of the Winter Classic

The concern with potentially warmer locations (such as DC) isn't the temperature, but precipitation. The ice making equipment can handle warmer temps (really - think how warm it is inside an arena, compared to what the temperature is outside in DC right now), but if you get a storm here around this time of year, there's still a very good chance it could be rain, sleet, or the dreaded 'wintry mix' instead of snow. Snow is easy to clean off the ice, as it's already frozen and doesn't stick if dealt with right away. Rain, on the other hand, would be disastrous.

I've talked to some folks in DC who are connected with the Sports and Entertainment Commission, and that's what they tell me the NHL's concerns are.

As far as Canadian teams go, they won't be participating in this game anytime soon for a couple reasons - TV being the most prominent. Also, there aren't nearly as many good sized locations in Canada to host these events. You've got a couple of legit, outdoor CFL stadiums, but most are not all that big in terms of capacity.

The NHL has done a good job of picking the teams and locations for the game so far - they've managed to capture traditional rivalries (DET-CHI), young up and coming stars (Crosby), great venues, and teams that are competitive in the standings and in the playoffs.

[CHFAN222]

Re: NCAA Hockey as part of the Winter Classic

Actually now that I think about the Devils make sense to host the event. They can play the game at Rutgers and host either the Capitals or Rangers although it would probably be better to play against the Capitals. The main disadvantage is the game would not be in a city. Like the previous two where. If you wanted to throw a college game into the mix you could put in Cornell and Princeton which isn't great but would still have chance of selling well.

[Federal League]

Re: NCAA Hockey as part of the Winter Classic

One has to assume the parks that weren't picked last year are candidates for this year. Citi doesn't make any sense to me, if you have to wait a year to do Yankee Stadium then wait a year instead of just moving it to a lesser venue.

Unless I'm missing something, I believe the Yankee Bowl is gonna be an annual event. So, that's gonna pose a problem whether you're talking about next year, 2012, 2015, etc. I maintain that Rangers-Caps at Citi Field would be the best option for next year. You know the NHL wants to bring the Winter Classic to NYC, and the Giants/Jets and Yankee Bowl make Citi Field really the only viable option. And you know the NHL wants Ovechkin in this, which is why I don't think it'd be Rangers-Islanders or Rangers-Devils.

As for slurpees' concern about the area around Citi Field being a "wasteland", 1) So is the area around Yankee Stadium and the area around the Meadowlands, and 2) Does that even matter? People aren't really gonna be hanging around outside the stadium for a couple hours before or after the game. It's gonna be freezing out, and they're gonna get there a half hour before the game and leave as soon as it's over.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: NCAA Hockey as part of the Winter Classic

Outdoor games in the warm weather won't be a problem, since it has already been done by the NHL, in Las Vegas, in September. It was only an exhibition game.

The Las Vegas strip provided the background for the first ever NHL exhibition game to be held outdoors. The Kings and the Rangers battled under the lights outside Caesars Palace in mid-80 degree temperatures. The game drew a crowd of 13,000, most of whom wore shorts and t-shirts to take it all in. "We were a little bit in awe and I'm sure (the Rangers) were, too," said the Kings' Wayne Gretzky about the outdoor game. "We kept looking at each other and couldn't believe we were playing hockey in 80-degree weather. But it was real nice.”

http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?bcid=337533

[4four4]

Re: NCAA Hockey as part of the Winter Classic

Not enough college hockey teams in NY, and the fact that this "Winter Classic" thing made up by the Eastern Sports Propaganda Network is Boston teams, I don't give a ****.

You can't be serious. How many teams play college hockey in NY? 1 maybe 2?

[Scarlet]

Re: NCAA Hockey as part of the Winter Classic

Not enough college hockey teams in NY, and the fact that this "Winter Classic" thing made up by the Eastern Sports Propaganda Network is Boston teams, I don't give a ****.

Um, what?

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: NCAA Hockey as part of the Winter Classic

You can't be serious. How many teams play college hockey in NY? 1 maybe 2?

At least 10 in Division 1.

RPI, Union, Clarkson, SLU, Cornell, Colgate, USMA West Point, RIT, Canisius, Niagara.

Syracuse if you count the women.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: NCAA Hockey as part of the Winter Classic

Don't worry about the nonsense that shortbus posts. He is, afterall, the same guy that posted a pic of himself in a neon green shirt with his 17 year old sister and her friend as proof that he had a good fashion sense and was good with the ladies.

[quiddlet]

Re: NCAA Hockey as part of the Winter Classic

Unless I'm missing something, I believe the Yankee Bowl is gonna be an annual event. So, that's gonna pose a problem whether you're talking about next year, 2012, 2015, etc.

Fair enough, at the very least though, they'll be able to get a feel for where the Yankee Bowl ranks in the chronological order of bowl season. Is there any chance as we do this more often the NHL figures out how to put up outdoor ice quicker? It seems that the current methods significantly limit any chance of using an NFL venue, or even many of the top NCAA football venues.

Not enough college hockey teams in NY, and the fact that this "Winter Classic" thing made up by the Eastern Sports Propaganda Network is Boston teams, I don't give a ****.

Whatever part of the boards you commonly lurk on, I'm glad I don't post there.

[mookie1995]

Re: NCAA Hockey as part of the Winter Classic

At least 10 in Division 1.

RPI, Union, Clarkson, SLU, Cornell, Colgate, USMA West Point, RIT, Canisius, Niagara.

Syracuse if you count the women.

one should always count women. women can be a lot of fun.

[UMDBulldogHockeyIsKing]

Re: NCAA Hockey as part of the Winter Classic

Nice to see STB has polluted yet another thread.

[slurpees]

Re: NCAA Hockey as part of the Winter Classic

Not enough college hockey teams in NY, and the fact that this "Winter Classic" thing made up by the Eastern Sports Propaganda Network is Boston teams, I don't give a ****.

you're suggesting ESPN took the time to come up with propaganda about hockey? they barely take the time to spell NHL right.

[ericredaxe]

Re: NCAA Hockey as part of the Winter Classic

It seems that the current methods significantly limit any chance of using an NFL venue, or even many of the top NCAA football venues..

According to Wikipedia, the Bills played the Giants at Ralph Wilson Staduim on Dec 23rd, 2007, and then they had the Winter Classic there on Jan 1, 2008... so they would have to schedule the final game of the NFL team as an away game.

Depending on the way the calendar falls, the potential for a home playoff game is where things would limit the use of the rink on the back end. The first set of playoff games that year were on Saturday Jan 5th, so when they planned it, they must have assumed that if needed, they could get the rink down, and the field back to playing shape by then.

It definitely makes the use of an NFL stadium difficult for anything more than one or two days of games / events.

[blockski]

Re: NCAA Hockey as part of the Winter Classic

According to Wikipedia, the Bills played the Giants at Ralph Wilson Staduim on Dec 23rd, 2007, and then they had the Winter Classic there on Jan 1, 2008... so they would have to schedule the final game of the NFL team as an away game.

Depending on the way the calendar falls, the potential for a home playoff game is where things would limit the use of the rink on the back end. The first set of playoff games that year were on Saturday Jan 5th, so when they planned it, they must have assumed that if needed, they could get the rink down, and the field back to playing shape by then.

It definitely makes the use of an NFL stadium difficult for anything more than one or two days of games / events.

Plus, you have to consider the surface. I can't see a stadium with real grass approving that with potential NFL games so soon afterward.