The 2023 Winter Classic has been exciting so far, as the Pittsburgh Penguins are taking on the Boston Bruins at Fenway Park. Right before puck drop, the NHL announced the 2024 Winter Classic teams. The two newest teams to the league will be squaring off next year. The Seattle Kraken will host the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Park for the 2024 Winter Classic. T-Mobile Park is home to the Seattle Mariners and is yet another Winter Classic set on a baseball stadium.
NHL announces Seattle Kraken will host the 2024 Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park (home of the Mariners); with Vegas as the opponent https://t.co/hi7yvVCwHs
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 2, 2023
2024 Winter Classic Teams Announced
The two babies of the NHL will be starring in the traditional New Year’s Day hockey game. Vegas has been an incredible expansion, both with the market and the hockey itself. They made the Stanley Cup Finals in their first year as a team but lost to the Washington Capitals. Since then, they boast a 241-137-34 record, with a 38-28 playoff record. They currently sit in first place in the Pacific Division, four points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings, good for fifth in the league.
Seattle has been another successful expansion, albeit a rough first season. A 27-49-6 record did not give fans much hope after the end of the 2021-22 season. However, the Kraken sit in fourth place in the Pacific Division with a 19-12-4 record, just one point behind the Calgary Flames.
What This Means For the League
Obviously, these two teams are going to be promoted in an effort to engage new viewers with these NHL teams. Especially since these two teams are rivals in the same division, this game should have extra fire behind it. To add to that, Seattle is on the up-and-up and should be one of the better teams in the Pacific next season, while Vegas will likely retain their place at the top. It should be a great game to watch for any hockey fan. And on a much less serious note, the jerseys should be absolutely incredible.
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