Last September, it was revealed that the Washington Capitals would have the coveted privilege of hosting the 2015 NHL Winter Classic. Over the last nine months, fans were left to sit and ponder over which of the other 29 teams would faceoff against the Caps in D.C. on January 1. With no official word on the matter, most initial assumptions focused on Eastern Conference rivals such as the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers as possible opposing candidates.
As we approach the release of the league’s regular-season schedule this weekend, news of Washington’s future opponent in the esteemed outdoor event began to surface. According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the Capitals will drop the puck on New Year’s Day against the Chicago Blackhawks.
This won’t be the first time the two teams step into the national spotlight for a Winter Classic game. The Caps went head-to-head with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2011 at Heinz Field while the Hawks played host to the Detroit Red Wings in 2009 at Wrigley Field. More recently, Chicago was involved with the NHL Stadium Series when they conquered Pittsburgh at iconic Soldier Field back in March of this year.
It’s no secret that the league hasn’t chosen to deviate too far from its primary choice of outdoor-game participants over the last eight years. While specific teams like the Flyers [two outdoor games], Red Wings [two outdoor games], Rangers [three outdoor games], and Penguins [three outdoor games] have all been fortunate enough to make multiple outdoor appearances, other successful hockey markets, especially Western Conference ones such as St. Louis, Colorado, and Minnesota, have not yet acquired games of their own.
An event like the Bridgestone Winter Classic is a heavily sought-after commodity that teams have essentially had to fight over in order to bring to their respective cities. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has made it quite clear that it’s up to the teams themselves to initiate conversations about hosting the spectacle in the future. The teams who show the most interest and are financially as well as geographically capable of taking on such an event will get the most amount of consideration from the league. It’s very possible that cities such as the three mentioned above simply have not expressed the yearning desire and apparent capability that the league is looking for when they assign the official participants.
During the Capitals’ annual team convention last year, owner Ted Leonsis had this to say regarding Washington’s ability to acquire the right to host the 2015 Winter Classic.
“The very first time I saw the Winter Classic was in Buffalo. I started emailing [NHL Chief Operating Officer] John [Collins] and our commissioner and said ‘I want one of those.’ It looked so spectacular,” said Leonsis during his announcement speech. “The whole hockey world watches. It’s an event that really signifies that we’ve come a long way as a hockey community. The league believes we can support it. That our city is ready to be the host city for an event of that magnitude.”
For the NHL, this couldn’t be a more perfect scenario in terms of media exposure. With the outstanding television ratings the Blackhawks are known for paired with their two recent Stanley Cup championships, it’s no wonder Chicago was granted a third opportunity to take part in the outdoor scene. Not to mention the high concentration of pure star power they have within their roster, one that features the likes of Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith, and “Mr. Showtime” himself, Patrick Kane.
On the flip side, elite superstar sniper and defending Rocket Richard winner Alex Ovechkin is more than enough to draw a crowd to D.C. come January. Joining him will be playmaking center Nicklas Backstrom, former Blackhawk Troy Brouwer, breakout grinder Joel Ward, and Russian newcomer Evgeny Kuznetsov among others.
It will also be interesting to see Washington’s new head coach, Barry Trotz, take center stage in the widely acclaimed and anticipated HBO special, 24/7. Granted, he may not be as vulgarly entertaining as Bruce Boudreau was back in 2011, but he’ll certainly make for great hockey television nonetheless.
As of now, there is no set venue for the event, though many speculate an official announcement will come sooner rather than later. Nationals Park and FedEx Field are among the most logical site locations.
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