The Winter Classic plans were unveiled today in Philadelphia. There was a lot to cover so expect a lot of fireworks and a lot of articles in the coming days. One of the first thing that stands out is the fact that these two fan bases hate each other but the heads of both organizations Glen Sather and Ed Snider both had some fun razzing the other after their official speeches were over. Snider talked about the Flyers two Cups and Sather snapped back about Snider still having that edge, and now it begins. HBO was there filming the event, interviewing folks and this winter another reality show will continue with 24/7.

John Collins The Driving Force Behind the Winter Classics
From Buffalo to Philadelphia, from football and baseball stadiums this game has turned into a ratings bonanza for the league and an event the casual television viewer looks for.

“It’s what all great sport s and all great entertainment is. It’s about bringing friends and family together, around the holidays, in this case celebrating hockey…it’s authentic, this is the way people learn to skate, the way they probably played their first game, its outdoors. Getting the game in front of 40,000, 50,000 in Buffalo (the first game), 73,000 shows the power of the sport,” John Collins, COO of the National Hockey League.

Defending Citizen’s Bank Park For The Winter Classic
The other day I was reading online how CBP will add zero to the Winter Classic and I have to totally disagree. I have been to a lot of the ballparks in major league baseball and this is one of the best. The sightlines are great and the obstructions are non-existent. Have some faith in the NHL to pick out a good venue for starters; none of them have been bad.

I think the ivy on the outfield wall will add some ambiance, I think the beautiful city backdrop that the stadium has will be very picturesque and I think the dimensions will make this a lot better to cover than some of the older baseball stadiums.

I have covered a lot of Phillies games and they have a first class facility there. The staff is amazing and they are a very “green” stadium, one of the best, which means this game will not leave a giant carbon footprint after it’s gone.

This stadium does have history; it has a World Series win and a ton of postseason games which does add a little something, something. The New York Rangers are playing the Philadelphia Flyers which could be the best matchup yet from a rivalry perspective.

I think the brick look of the stadium will look good on camera, I think something can be done with the double decker bullpens. The SRO section will be utilized I can guarantee you that and they have a ton of great food options which adds to any event, especially a Winter Classic.

What Some of the Players Thought
Rangers captain Ryan Callahan is a Rochester native and growing up he did play outdoor hockey.

“There was a pond up the street by me that my brother and my dad would go out there quite a bit. I spent a lot of time on that pond. Now to play in the NHL outside is something that I’m looking forward to.”

Will the bounces be the same as his old pond?

“Probably, hopefully they could take a bit better care of it than my dad could out on the pond. He shoveled it off for us.”

As a defenseman Matt Carle has played in this game before and had some interesting insights.

“Anytime the ice isn’t as good I would say that’s advantageous for us. It’s harder for a forward to score a goal. A skill guy wants to be able to handle the puck and make plays and we are more or less trying and keep it simple.

“There are those unpredictable bounces that we saw in Boston a couple of years ago. I think it’s something that we will have an advantage over when the game comes around…Knowing what to expect leading up to the game and playing outside again, it’s going to be awesome.”

Brad Richards, the Rangers newest addition had this thought, “Growing up was that was the free ice time….A lot of Canadian kids did that….It’s going to be kind of crazy to go out and see the sky and all of those people out there.”

Having spent almost an equal amount of time in both teams markets, I think this game will have a lot of electricity come January 2nd.

*photo by del Tufo of Center Ice Magazine.

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