Winter Classic

With the announcement that the Pittsburgh Penguins will host the Washington Capitals at Heinz Field for the 2011 Winter Classic, and that Washington will host its own in the next few years, it becomes painfully clear that Gary Bettmann only knows how to milk his two favorite publicity cows.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced, formally, the league's plans for the 2011 Winter Classic(s) during his state of the union address before the Stanley Cup Finals begin.

It will be between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, and will be held at Heinz Field, home of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers.

The announcement, which even Bettman joked was one of the league's worst kept secrets, continued to raise eyebrows from the assembled media in Chicago.

And it should.

TSN.ca is reporting that the NHL will soon announce their plans to hold two outdoor games in 2011.

The first game will be the now-traditional Winter Classic on New Year's Day, and will feature the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the Washington Capitals at Heinz Field.

The second, destined-to-be-referred-to-as-"The-Other-Outdoor-Game," will be a tilt between the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames "sometime in February" at McMahon Stadium.

Sigh.

Really, Gary?

I'm still trying to stop my heart from beating out of my chest right now.

Yesterday, the Boston Bruins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in OT in the third annual Winter Classic.

The game, which has become an annual event since the first game was played between the Penguins and Sabres two years ago in Buffalo, has been the marquee event on the NHL Schedule.

The buzz that was surrounding the game was unbelievable. I live just outside of Boston and the game was pretty much the only thing anyone was talking about.

The following is a repost of a story I wrote in April of 2009. In honor of today's game from Fenway Park between the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers, I decided to brush it off and resurrect it from the portals. I hope you enjoy. Happy New Year and Go Bruins!

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to sit in on a conversation with John Collins, Chief Operating Officer of the NHL. The topic du jour? The Winter Classic, where it is, where it’s going, and the process that NHL clubs endure to participate in the event.

With the NHL Winter Classic coming up, and having just finished building my own backyard rink, it’s time to air something that has been on my mind for a while.

Where will Buffalo’s place be in Winter Classic history?

Of course, the obvious answer is the location of the first installment of the annual event. But I want to look beyond that. I think that Buffalo should be viewed as the Hockeytown that started it all.

As most people know, the NHL hasn't been the same since the lockout cancelled the 2004-2005 season.

Before the lockout happened hockey was a pretty popular sport, but popularity was declining. When the lockout actually happened it pushed popularity down even more and it hasn't been the same.

Popularity continues to decline since the league doesn't have a very good television contract.

It's become a yearly tradition in the NHL, and whether you agree with it's annual nature or think that it should be reserved for special occasions and only a periodic schedule, if you're a hockey fan, you'll watch.

It's the biggest, most-watched game of pond hockey in the world, played in some of the most historical venues known to the sporting universe, featuring some of the most gifted athletes.

In other words, we're just over two and a half weeks away from the NHL's fourth Bridgestone Winter Classic.

So while the players are getting their toques, leg-warmers, and thermoses ready for the

The Bridgestone Winter Classic is just 22 days away; an event that will take place at Boston’s historic Fenway Park and will feature two historic teams, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Boston Bruins.

Wednesday afternoon, I had a chance to talk about the Winter Classic with none other than former NHL star, Ed Olczyk, who will be at the Classic covering the game representing NBC. Here are some highlights from the interview...