Coming on the heels of the stunning success of the New Years Day outdoor NHL Winter Classic between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins, franchises are already lobbying to be part of, or host, the next NHL outdoor game. As reported by the NY Times:
“There have been several expressions of interest,†said Frank Brown, the N.H.L. vice president for media relations, but he did not specify from which teams.
The Flyers’ president, Peter Luukko, has had “informal conversations†about staging a game between the Flyers and the Penguins at Penn State’s Beaver Stadium, a Flyers spokesman said.
Detroit Coach Mike Babcock suggested the Red Wings play a game at Michigan Stadium. Other suggestions made last week for future outdoor games involved Yankee Stadium, Chicago, Boston, Toronto and Montreal.
As far as Boston is concerned, could Fenway Park host a game? Red Sox Senior Vice-President  of Corporate Partnerships Sam Kennedy said, “I think it’s fair to say we would absolutely be interested in exploring [an NHL game at Fenway Park] in the futureâ€
(Read the Business of Sports Network interview with Sam Kennedy)
As to why teams would clamor to host the game is simple: revenue gold.
It was a game for the record books: the first regular-season NHL game ever played outdoors. It was an attendance record for an NHL game at 71,217 (381.0% of capacity at Ralph Wilson Stadium). And, it was the first outdoor NHL game ever played in the US. Add in that it will most certainly be the most highly watched NHL game on television in recent memory when the Nielsen ratings are released, and all in all it was a rousing success for the NHL.
But, that wasn’t all that made for a memorable script.
It was a game that saw a steady stream of snow, fans in the lower bowl of Ralph Wilson Stadium standing for the duration of the game, and the game winning goal coming on a shootout by Sidney Crosby.
In a word, it was almost a nearly perfect game.
Were there issues with playing outdoors? Certainly. One of the Zambonis froze up, extending the time at the 10 min. mark of the 3rd period when the ice was being resurfaced. There was an issue with one area of the rink having to be maintained throughout the game due to placing the rink on the football field surface. All of that played out as a minor annoyance rather than the focus to what will be one of the most memorable games in NHL history. As reported by The AP:
With the success of this event, it seems likely the NHL would seek to host more, perhaps even on an annual basis.
"When you see 70,000 people packed into a stadium to watch hockey, that's usually a good sign," Crosby said.
The record crowd that topped the one in Edmonton four years earlier, cheered and took pictures as the conclusion approached. The camera flashes dotted the entire stadium as each of the six shooters came in on goal through lake-effect snow.
That game in Edmonton, played at Commonwealth Stadium between the Canadiens and Oilers, was deemed the Heritage Classic and played on Nov. 22, 2003 saw a total attendance of 57,167. The game has been remembered more for the incredible coldness of the day than anything as temperatures reached as low as -28C. The highlight of that game may have been Jose Theodore’s use of a toque to stave off the cold. Sabres goalie Ryan Miller wore three different versions of a toque during today’s Winter Classic (Miller will sell the toques and donate the proceeds to charity).
Below is a break down of team stat comparison for the Winter Classic.
If you haven’t heard of Alex Medvedev, then you should. Medvedev is the deputy chief executive of Russian natural gas producer Gazprom. He’s also an avid hockey fan, and is captain of his company’s team.
Medvedev is looking to create a European “Super League†that could greatly impact the player exchanges with the NHL, and has brought in former NHL Players' Association chief Bob Goodenow to help get the league started. As reported by the Toronto Sun:
The likelihood of a new European league has increased in recent years as hockey federations in Russia and elsewhere in Europe have grown disenchanted with the NHL over its recruitment of their best players.
At the same time, Medvedev has ample dollars to start a competitor to the venerable NHL. In an interview from Russia, Medvedev confirmed that former Russian NHL star Igor Larionov and Goodenow are members of a so-called "working group" that's starting the league. Goodenow travelled to Moscow this week to discuss the prospective league, Larionov said.
Medvedev's representatives already have contacted broadcasters and sponsors, and could start the league as soon as September 2008, Larionov said. An executive with Finland's public broadcaster, YLE, confirmed he was approached several months ago about buying rights to televise the new league.
With the current state of player exchange from European teams extracting $200,000 (U.S.) per player, teams in Europe are arguing that the amount is too small. Both Russia and Sweden have currently severed relations with the NHL in regards to player exchange over the matter.
The threat of a “Super League†in Europe could further place pressure on the player exchange agreements with other countries beyond Russia and Sweden.
How has the NHL responded to Medvedev’s efforts?
Bill Daly, the NHL's deputy commissioner, said of the league: "We wish them luck with what appears to be a very ambitious project."
If you haven’t heard of Alex Medvedev, then you should. Medvedev is the deputy chief executive of Russian natural gas producer Gazprom. He’s also an avid hockey fan, and is captain of his company’s team.
