Ice and History: Exploring the Legacy of the Winter Classic
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Time to read 9 min
The NHL Winter Classic is an eagerly awaited annual tradition celebrating the sport’s heritage while embracing innovation and fan engagement. It stands at the intersection of sport, history, and spectacle. In this article, we’ll take a look back at what makes the Winter Classic so special for the NHL over the holiday season.
About the Winter Classic
Premise
The Winter Classic is a unique tradition within the league, as a combination of competitive hockey, nostalgia, and an outdoor spectacle.
It’s important to note that the Winter Classic is still a standard regular season game, albeit with a twist; rather than an indoor match-up like normal, the Winter Classic takes the action outdoors to create an extraordinary experience for both players and fans alike. The game is often hosted in renowned outdoor sports venues, such as Fenway Park and Wrigley Field, in addition to some football fields.
An integral part of the Winter Classic's allure is its timing. Occurring on or around New Year's Day (typically January 1st), the game marks the perfect start to the year for hockey enthusiasts. Adding to the nostalgia, teams participating in the Winter Classic often wear retro-style jerseys, paying homage to their franchise's history. These specially designed uniforms fit the outdoor theme, enhancing the game's vintage appeal and creating a unique visual experience for everyone at the game.
While the Winter Classic shares elements with other outdoor NHL games like the Heritage Classic and the Stadium Series, each event has its distinct charm and purpose. The Winter Classic built on the success of prior outdoor hockey events like the Cold War (a historic outdoor college hockey game between Michigan State University and the University of Michigan) and the Heritage Classic and is now a highly anticipated event around the holiday season.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
Making it a Reality
Although now a cherished tradition, the Winter Classic didn't come into existence without its fair share of challenges and skeptics. In its early days, the concept faced resistance from various sectors within the league, with doubts raised about its feasibility and appeal.
The inception of the Winter Classic stemmed from a creative idea conceived by Jon Miller, an NBC Sports Executive. The need for compelling programming on New Year's Day prompted Miller to brainstorm an innovative sports event. His initial concept involved an outdoor game at the historic Yankee Stadium and featured the New York Rangers. However, the Rangers declined the proposal.
Despite the first few setbacks, the pieces eventually fell into place. Miller needed two things in particular to make the game a hit: a good venue and an attention-grabbing player or team. The venue happened to be Ralph Wilson Stadium (now known as Highmark Stadium) in Buffalo NY, and the game was set to be between the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins— which meant that star Sidney Crosby would make an appearance on the ice.
Weather
As expected, weather conditions can occasionally disrupt the game or cause one team to have an advantage over the other— thus, it would make sense for the NHL to modify the rules for the Winter Classic game to eliminate as many variables as possible. Doing so is especially important considering the Winter Classic is still considered a regular season game and can impact a team’s placement in the overall standings.
Oddly enough, the weather condition that seems to affect the game the most isn’t precipitation, but the sun— a common rule change for this event is to have the teams switch sides at the midway point of the game, rather than after each period, because the glare from the sun can impair players’ vision. Teams will switch sides midway through overtime as well if needed.
In 2011, the Winter Classic was delayed for seven hours from 1pm ET to 8pm ET due to expected rain. Although the timing meant the later game might be a bit colder in the stands, the players were happy for the change, since it meant they wouldn’t have to deal with glare from the sun (and they could sleep in a bit).
The Winter Classic for the next year was handled similarly— in 2012, the game was postponed until two hours later for more optimal on-ice conditions. The original 1pm game would have had players, once again, fighting the glare of the sun, in addition to the sun potentially affecting the quality of the ice.
Photo by Chris Liverani on Unsplash
The 2019 Winter Classic was hosted at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana. By Bryson Linenburg - https://www.flickr.com/photos/146096060@N06/32692054558/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75507941
Noteable Winter Classic Games
First Winter Classic: Jan. 1, 2008, Ralph Wilson Stadium
The inaugural Winter Classic held on January 1, 2008, at Ralph Wilson Stadium (now Highmark Stadium) in Buffalo, New York, featured the Buffalo Sabres facing off against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The pushbacks didn’t affect the excitement and anticipation surrounding it from the fans. The game was played in front of a record-setting crowd of 71,217 enthusiastic fans complete with snowfall in the backdrop.
Ralph Wilson Stadium (now Highmark Stadium), near Buffalo, during the first Winter Classic in 2008. By Falling Heavens - Anthems, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3515111
The Penguins, led by superstar Sidney Crosby, emerged victorious in a thrilling and tightly contested game. The matchup went into a shootout after a 1-1 tie in regulation and overtime. Crosby famously scored the shootout-winning goal against Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller, solidifying the first Winter Classic win in NHL history.
The combination of nostalgia and outdoor setting captivated fans and players alike. The success of this inaugural game sparked a new tradition in the NHL, inspiring subsequent Winter Classic games that have become highly anticipated events in the league's calendar.
2013 - Lockout
The excitement for the highly anticipated match-up between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings quickly fizzled away due to the NHL lockout during the 2012-2013 season.
The lockout stemmed from a complex dispute primarily centred on revenue sharing between the NHL and the NHL Players' Association (NHLPA). At its core, the disagreement revolved around team owners seeking salary reductions for players, while the NHLPA proposed an enhanced revenue-sharing system. This standoff led to a lengthy lockout, marking the third labour dispute under Commissioner Gary Bettman's tenure.
As negotiations dragged on, the lack of a labour deal meant no power to organize the 2013 Winter Classic. With the lockout in play, planning for an event of such magnitude would have been a major challenge—which involves various logistical elements and extensive preparation. Not to mention, no players would be able to play.
The surrounding area in Detroit was prepping for a winter festival and constructing two new ice rinks, meaning the 2013 Winter Classic was expected to reach about 400,000 people that year. The game between Detroit and Toronto would eventually be played one year later in 2014.
The 2014 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium with 105,000 fans in attendance, an NHL record. By Matthew Barera - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31980941
2021 - COVID-19
The NHL had to make the difficult decision to postpone two of its highly anticipated events with the ongoing uncertainty brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic: the Winter Classic and the All-Star Weekend. The league cited concerns about the unpredictability surrounding the virus as the primary reason for delaying these events.
Originally scheduled for January 1, 2021, the Winter Classic was set to feature an exciting clash between the Minnesota Wild and the St. Louis Blues at Target Field in Minneapolis. Simultaneously, the All-Star Weekend had been planned for January 29-30 at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida.
In a statement addressing the postponement, Steve Mayer, the NHL's senior executive vice president and chief content officer, emphasized the importance of fan involvement and expressed the league's commitment to staging these events in a manner that allows fans to participate fully. Ultimately, the league opted to defer these celebrations to a future date, envisioning a time when fans could enjoy these events in person as intended. This game would not be played until 2022.
Although the main reason for delaying the game had to do with COVID-19, another reason stemmed from the uncertainty regarding fan attendance. The Winter Classic and the All-Star Weekend traditionally involve community engagements and fan-centric activities, making fan participation integral to their success.
2022 - Coldest Winter Classic
But the show must go on— the rescheduled game in 2022 was successfully held at Target Field in Minneapolis MN between the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues, the same as they were set to play the year prior. Unfortunately, the game still wasn’t as smooth sailing as they would have liked.
The 2022 Winter Classic game set the record for being the coldest outdoor game in NHL history. The previous record was held by the 2003 Heritage Classic, with temperatures at 0°F / -17°C at puck drop.
This game saw temperatures around -7°F / -21°C, with wind chill reaching to the negative 20s/30s (°F/°C). It got so cold that the ice had to be heated to react properly with the puck, and more medical teams and heating systems were stationed to increase player, fan, and worker safety. If some of these measures weren’t taken, it would have increased the chances of people developing frostbite, not to mention the game itself would have been unplayable.
Despite the tough temperatures, the St. Louis Blues had a bit of fun with it-- showing up to the game in “beach casual” attire.
This weather's a beach. #stlblues #WinterClassic pic.twitter.com/FDTJ56iesP
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) January 1, 2022
Current Reception
For fans, the Winter Classic offers a rare opportunity to witness an NHL game played outdoors, bringing the game back to its roots on a larger scale. Players also relish the chance to don retro-style jerseys, adding an extra layer of excitement and nostalgia to the event. Beyond the game itself, players often engage in heartwarming pre-game moments such as skating with family members, creating memories that transcend the competition.
Teams participating in the Winter Classic also often inject a bit of fun into the event, a good example being the Blues dressing in “Beach casual” before the coldest Winter Classic game in history. Sponsors also embrace the festivities, leveraging the event to market their brands while contributing to the overall experience. Sidney Crosby, reflecting on the inaugural Winter Classic, described the experience as "like a hockey snow globe.”
The Winter Classic holds such great appeal that every NHL team has expressed a desire to participate, whether as hosts or visiting teams. However, the logistics of selecting venues are a significant challenge. Hosting at NFL football venues requires specific scheduling that not all teams can or are willing to make; additionally, fields that use real grass are out of the question entirely because replacing the grass is much too time-consuming and resource-heavy. These things can make it tricky to decide where to have the Winter Classic.
The fifth Winter Classic held in 2012 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. By Centpacrr at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18111122
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