Another Outdoor Game?!

[Kel Varnsen]

Penguins, Sabres will reportedly face off on Jan. 1

There is apparently going to be another "Ice Bowl", NHL style.

According to a report from The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres will play an outdoor game on Jan. 1, 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the NFL's Buffalo Bills.

The game will reportedly air nationally on NBC, but neither the network nor the NHL would confirm the report.

"If and when we have something to announce we will make sure the announcement gets heard," NHL spokesperson Frank Brown told the newspaper.

ESPN The Magazine's E.J. Hradek originally reported in early June on the NHL's plans for another outdoor game.

In 2003, the league took the game outdoors for the highly successful "Heritage Classic" in Edmonton. A crowd of nearly 60,000 braved sub-zero temperatures at Commonwealth Stadium to see the Oilers skate against the Canadiens.

That game was preceded by a legends tilt, featuring stars such as Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Guy Lafleur. Messier, who at the time was an active member of the New York Rangers, received permission to participate in the special event.

I am sooooo going to try to go to this if it happens!

 

[MigratingOsprey]

great idea - terrible day for the game - not like it's a huge day for college football or anything...........

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

There was talk a while ago about having the Islanders and Rangers play a game in Yankee Stadium. Now that would have been incredible.

 

[azsouthendzone]

great idea - terrible day for the game - not like it's a huge day for college football or anything...........

Great planning by the NHL

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Looks like it's official:

Sabres, Penguins set for outdoor showdown Jan. 1 in Buffalo
Associated Press

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Sidney Crosby will show off his passing skills at the same place Jim Kelly did for years -- in front of shivering fans at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium.

It'll be pucks instead of footballs and the home team will be the Sabres and not the Bills.

Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins will face Buffalo on New Year's Day in the first outdoor NHL game in the United States. It will be the second time the league staged such an event in the regular season, coming more than four years after the Montreal Canadiens faced the Oilers outside on a frigid November day in Edmonton.

The official announcement was made Monday at the 74,000-seat stadium, where the league attendance record is expected to be broken.

"I'm excited," said Crosby, the 20-year-old reigning MVP. "I think it's going to be a great experience for everyone. We all watched the Edmonton-Montreal game. We've all prepared for this at some point in our careers, playing outside, so I think it's going to be a lot of fun for us and for the fans."

Preparations for the historic game are expected to begin on Christmas Eve, the day after the Bills play the New York Giants in Buffalo's final regular-season home game. A refrigeration system will be installed to make the ice and the process will be supervised by Dan Craig, the NHL's ice expert.

"There is something very special about taking hockey out into the elements, back to its roots, back to the place where so many boys and girls first learned to love the game," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said on the stadium's bright green turf, which will be transformed into an ice rink.

Buffalo was chosen for its dependably cold winters and proximity to Pittsburgh, from where fans are expected to make the 225-mile trip in droves. The NHL already is making plans to organize bus excursions and hold hotel rooms.

"The average temperature in the beginning of January, end of December is 25 degrees," Bettman said. "That's exactly what we're hoping for. A little overcast ... We prefer that there be no lake-effect snow or any other precipitation."

A normal Jan. 1 snowfall in Buffalo is less than an inch, according to National Weather Service records. Temperatures have varied from 0 degrees in 1970 to 63 in 1985.

Tickets, ranging from $29 to $225, were scheduled to go on sale Tuesday morning. The game will be televised by NBC against college football bowls.

"I never thought it was going to happen again, to be honest," Crosby said of playing outside. "But to be part of it, we really feel fortunate."

Sabres goalie Ryan Miller was in net for Michigan State for its 2001 outdoor "Cold War" with Michigan, when shadows and wind were unique challenges.

"I got off the ice after that game and I was red in the face, windburned, and my toes were frozen," Miller said. "I'm hoping I learned a little bit and can make some adjustments and figure out how to stay warm."

The Sabres have reached the Eastern Conference finals each of the past two seasons. The Penguins, built around young stars Crosby and rookie of the year Evgeni Malkin, are hoping to get to that level soon.

"We have a young team so it's not that long ago that our young players were actually playing on ponds," Penguins president David Morehouse said. "Whether it be Sidney Crosby in Canada, Evgeni Malkin in Russia or Ryan Whitney in the United States ... they're very excited and enthusiastic."

Bettman said the NHL will pay for the event, expected to cost "well into the seven figures." A contingency plan is in the works in case the weather doesn't cooperate.

The league's only previous outdoor non-exhibition game drew 57,167 fans to Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium in November 2003.

"We were overdue for another one but we needed the right place, the right teams and the right time and we found them all," Bettman said. "Plain and simple, we are doing this to have some fun."

 

[Kel Varnsen]

The NHL released this statement on the status of tickets: “Demonstrating once again that our fans are the most passionate in sports, more than 42,000 tickets to the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic were sold in the first 30 minutes of availability this morning. Due to the overwhelming demand, plus our commitment to Sabres and Penguins season ticket holders, the Buffalo Bills and sponsors of the event, we are currently sold out. If additional tickets become available, we'll release the information at a later date.”

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

The game apparently sold out in 11 minutes. Makes you wonder if the NHL will try to make this a yearly thing, especially since it looks like there's the demand to fill up some pretty big venues. There was some talk of hosting a Rangers game outdoors, how cool would it be to play a hockey game in Yankee Stadium?

 

[Kel Varnsen]

eBay prices are huge! I had no idea it would be this popular. Wow.

 

[howlincoyote2k1]

It's a great idea, but why, why, WHY on the same day as major college football bowls?

 

[HooverDam]

It would be neat if the Coyotes could do something like this in Flagstaff, I bet a lot of people would drive up to check it out, not to mention Im sure half the city of Flag would buy tickets. I don't think they have any outdoor venues though that hold enough people which would be the biggest obstacle.

 

[Scott MS]

It would be neat if the Coyotes could do something like this in Flagstaff, I bet a lot of people would drive up to check it out, not to mention Im sure half the city of Flag would buy tickets. I don't think they have any outdoor venues though that hold enough people which would be the biggest obstacle.

It doesn't necessarily have to occur in a cold weather climate. In 1991, the Los Angeles Kings played the Edmonton Oilers in an outdoor exhibition game in Las Vegas. The weather was 80 degrees at game time.

I remember the game well because the Kings had a pre-season game the night before in Phoenix (home of thier roadrunner affiliate). I bought tickets to the game hoping to see the Great One, but he didn't play that night due to the big Vegas game the next day.

____________________

NHL Pre-Season Exhibition
Las Vegas, Nevada
September 28, 1991
New York Rangers vs. Los Angeles Kings
Attendance: 13,000

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.”

 

[HooverDam]

It doesn't necessarily have to occur in a cold weather climate. In 1991, the Los Angeles Kings played the Edmonton Oilers in an outdoor exhibition game in Las Vegas. The weather was 80 degrees at game time.

Interesting, they'd still have to construct some sort of temporary rink/stands or something if they wanted to do it in Phoenix though. But it would be neat seeing people skating on ice w/ saguaros in the background

 

[Kel Varnsen]

I hope you're all watching this! This is awesome!

 

[Lefty]

It reminds me when I grew up and played hockey outside on the pond. Pittsburgh already scored in the first 30 seconds of the game.

Maybe the NHL can have a game next year outside in the desert?

 

[Kel Varnsen]

It reminds me when I grew up and played hockey outside on the pond. Pittsburgh already scored in the first 30 seconds of the game.

Maybe the NHL can have a game next year outside in the desert?

Did you see the little rink they had set up? They had kids out there playing and were all sentimental and stuff. It was pretty cool.

Well, there's a rumor that next year's outdoor game will be between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia at Penn State...100,000 fans!

 

[Jersey Girl]

Did you see the little rink they had set up? They had kids out there playing and were all sentimental and stuff. It was pretty cool.

Well, there's a rumor that next year's outdoor game will be between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia at Penn State...100,000 fans!

I heard that rumor as well. I think that would be super cool!

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Love all the end to end rushes in this period, great hockey so far.

 

[PHXSportsFan4]

This is a neat idea and a great way to help promote the sport and the league here in the US. If I remember right I think they did something outdoor like this in I think Edmonton a few years back but it's good they are playing this game in the US. They should probably pick out another date though because New Year's Day is a huge day for college football bowl games.

So far this has been a pretty good game and it's neat watching them play outdoors in an actual regular season game. They are going into OT right now.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Well, the game is headed to overtime. The only problem with these outdoor games is that the ice has to be cleaned off half way through the period, which hurts the momentum of an otherwise excellently paced game.

 

[PHXSportsFan4]

I like how it's snowed most of the game... perfect setting for an outdoor game.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Nice job by the Pens to kill the penalty in OT, we're now going to a shootout.

 

[PHXSportsFan4]

Crosby with the winner in the SO!

 

[MigratingOsprey]

fun game to watch - crowd was hyped and the players seemed to be into it

 

[Jersey Girl]

fun game to watch - crowd was hyped and the players seemed to be into it

Yeah, it was pretty cool.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

I heard that rumor as well. I think that would be super cool!

Yeah, I really wanted to go to today's game, but one at Penn State between PIT and PHI would be even better! I hope they announce it soon if they do.