New Year’s Eve! It’s a wonderful time of year! The calendar is hours away from flipping to 2025 and there’s a sense that the new year will bring numerous surprises. Oh and in a deviation from the norm, instead of waiting until New Year’s Day, The National Hockey League is hosting its annual Winter Classic TONIGHT (buy the only book on the birth of the Winter Classic here)!
As the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues get set to square off in their second Winter Classic matchup – they previously faced each other in The 2017 affair at Busch Stadium – it’s time to have a rather creative discussion. By the way, this is also the second time Wrigley Field in Chicago will host The NHL’s annual outdoor spectacle. The last time was the second-ever Winter Classic in 2009, when the home of the Chicago Cubs witnessed the Detroit Red Wings’ 6-4 victory over the Blackhawks.
As you can see, The Winter Classic is starting to get a tad repetitive with its contestants and venues. So, let’s discuss five Winter Classic matchups fans should WANT to see and five NEW venues/locations for The League’s annual extravaganza.
Quickly, here are the rules for our exercise. The two teams cannot have played each other in any prior Winter Classic or Stadium Series games. Also, the venue cannot have hosted an NHL game previously. And lastly, to really make things interesting, we’re going to select several locations that don’t currently have a professional sports venue already in place. (You’ll see what we mean about that last part in a moment).
(Editor’s Note: These matchups are in no particular order).
BOSTON BRUINS VS. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Okay, so maybe Boston isn’t exactly a newcomer to outdoor games, having previously played in four Winter Classics, but this rivalry practically demands it be played under the wide open sky.
Toronto and Boston is one of The NHL’s oldest and most contested rivalries. These two teams have gone head-to-head a whopping 690 times in the regular season. And lest you think this is strictly an old-school rivalry, don’t forget, they’ve played each other in The Stanley Cup Playoffs four times in the last 11 years alone. Plus, each of those four playoff series ended with the Bruins winning Game Seven and breaking the Maple Leafs’ hearts.
A storied rivalry such as this should get to be played outdoors at least once. But where to stage it?
How about the iconic Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin?
Sure, Lambeau Field isn’t anywhere near Boston or Toronto, but that makes it an even better choice because you’re guaranteed to have a close to evenly split crowd. Lambeau is arguably the most iconic football stadium in North America and it is well known for its frigid, often sub-zero, temperatures during NFL playoff games.
Does that not scream NHL Winter Classic to you? The energy, the frozen tundra, the potential snowfall and all the history that goes along with the stadium, it would be picturesque for two of The NHL’s oldest rivals to face-off at Lambeau Field.
SAN JOSE SHARKS VS. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Unlike the Bruins and Maple Leafs, the Sharks and Golden Knights’ rivalry doesn’t even go back a full decade. However, what it lacks in historical length, it more than makes up for in on-ice ferocity. Ever since the now infamous (or incredible, depending on which side you’re on) Game Seven between these two teams in the first round of the 2019 playoffs, these two teams have had a hearty disdain for each other.
Both are fairly fresh faces for an outdoor game as San Jose has only played in one Stadium Series game while Vegas has only played in one Winter Classic. (To be fair, Vegas did play in a special outdoor game at Lake Tahoe against the Colorado Avalanche, but they’re still hardly an over-booked outdoor team).
For this contest, it’s time to get creative. As we mentioned in our rules, we’re going to select a couple of locations that don’t currently have a professional sports venue built there and this is the first time we’re doing so on this list.
Hey, NHL, how about building a special one-time rink in Yellowstone National Park with Old Faithful in the backdrop (a safe, but visually accessible distance away from the game action)?
The historic geyser would add a once-in-a-lifetime feel to the game and due to its pattern of eruption over the last 24 years, it’s practically guaranteed to go off at least once during the game. Can you imagine if a player scored a goal and as the red light goes off, Old Faithful erupts in the background? That alone would be worth the price of admission and pop the TV ratings big time!
Yes, it would be tricky to build a one-time-use rink, but hey, if The NHL can do it at Lake Tahoe, it can find a way at Yellowstone. Of course, Lake Tahoe had no fans in attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but temporary seating for say 5,000 to 10,000 fans shouldn’t be too hard for The League to pull off. And if it is too difficult, make it a “Made For TV” event like Lake Tahoe and watch as the ratings go through the roof.
EDMONTON OILERS VS. CALGARY FLAMES
The Battle of Alberta! It’s one of The NHL’s best rivalries.
Yes, these two teams have twice faced off in the sporadically held Heritage Classic, but they’ve never squared off in The Winter Classic or Stadium Series so we’ll allow it.
One of The League’s most bitter rivalries absolutely deserves to have the spotlight of The Winter Classic. And while fans north of the border have seen more than their fair share of games between the Oilers and Flames, many in The United States have never had that pleasure. So, in a way, this would be a matchup with untapped potential.
This is another contest where The NHL should try to find a way to build a temporary rink. And this time, the rink should be at Glacier National Park in Montana.
Close your eyes and visualize playing a game of hockey while surrounded by some of the most wondrous glaciers in America. If The League plays its’ cards right and if the construction aspects work out, you could potentially put the rink in a spot where it’s entirely encircled by the glaciers.
Think about the sights and sounds for the players, the fans and the broadcast. Heck, when the goal horn goes off, it would echo in such a way that it would create a uniquely memorable moment.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS VS. WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Do you want a game with plenty of playoff history to draw from? You bet! The Islanders and Capitals have faced each other in the playoffs eight separate times over the years and they’ve had some very memorable moments, including “The East Epic,” which is still one of the longest games in NHL history.
Also, would you believe that the Islanders have NEVER played in The Winter Classic? The Capitals have done so twice and have appeared in The Stadium Series twice more. But the Isles have only ever played in The Stadium Series, which they’ve twice lost to the New York Rangers.
It’s actually quite mystifying that the Islanders have never appeared in The Winter Classic given how much The League has always appeared to like the franchise. But we digress.
As we mentioned, this game would have plenty of playoff history to draw from, both long ago and recently. But where to play?
How about Churchill Downs? The home of The Kentucky Derby!
This is one of the most iconic and historic sporting venues in The United States. The first leg of The Triple Crown is always an exciting time and the Islanders should be more than comfortable playing at a racetrack given that their current home, UBA Arena, is part of Belmont Park, the home of the final leg of The Triple Crown; The Belmont Stakes.
Triple Crown races are usually a chance for people to dress up in overly fancy attire. The pretentious nature of horse racing fans is like a gateway to olden times when fans across sports dressed to the nines to take in a ballgame. It was a social affair of high society.
Now, contrast that with how rabid hockey fans normally behave at games. It’s tantalizing just to think about it.
NEW YORK RANGERS VS. LOS ANGELES KINGS
Both the Rangers and the Kings have a fair amount of experience in outdoor games. Los Angeles has a couple Stadium Series games and no Winter Classics under its belt while the Blueshirts have a couple Stadium Series games plus a pair of Winter Classics on their resume. Remember the outdoor game between the two in Las Vegas in 1991?
This is the typical East Coast versus West Coast matchup between two big media markets that would have The NHL salivating over its potential revenue and ratings. Of course, there’s a decent amount of history to draw from too as the Kings bested the Rangers in The 2014 Stanley Cup Final.
There’s also the matter that these two franchises played each other in the first-ever NHL outdoor game that featured two NHL teams. This was back in 1991, when The League held a pre-season exhibition game in Las Vegas between the Kings and Rangers. This is an often-forgotten exhibition, but it would provide plenty of material for The League to use for marketing purposes.
Now the question becomes, where to play? Well, in honor of the fact that The League actually canceled a second exhibition between the teams in 1991, we’ve chosen two locations so these teams can play two games.
For the first game, this is one of those times we’re we’ll be erecting a temporary one-time-use rink and we have the perfect place in mind. Let’s play at Acadia National Park in Maine. Known as one of the most beautiful natural settings in America, Acadia National Park would provide an impossible-to-match aesthetic. Throw in the hiking and camping areas and you have the potential for some truly unforgettable moments that can be created.
As for the second game, we’re switching coasts and playing at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Rose Bowl is the gold standard for College Football games. Collegiate football players dream of one day playing in The Rose Bowl. It’s one of those places that is romanticized in sports and has an unmatched history to it.
Drop the puck at the 50-yard line, sit back and pinch yourself to make sure you’re not dreaming.
Okay, that’ll do it for our five desired Winter Classic matchups. Enjoy the game and have a Happy and Healthy New Year’s!
