Happy New Year to all! While most of us will be dial-hopping to watch our favorite New Year’s Day college football bowl game on Monday, the National Hockey League will usher in 2018 with its annual outdoor hockey game. This year, the NHL’s Winter Classic will be played in New York City and features the hometown New York Rangers against the team which hosted the first NHL outdoor hockey encounter, the Buffalo Sabres.
Ten years ago, the NHL and NBC put together the first professional outdoor hockey game to be played in the United States on January 1, 2008. Where would be the best place in the United States to feel certain that the temperature would remain cold enough to keep the ice frozen for outdoor hockey? Buffalo, of course!
A decade ago, a makeshift rink was set-up inside of the 80,000 seat stadium which normally plays host to the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. Would anyone pay money to attend an outdoor hockey game on New Year’s Day in normally frigid Buffalo? Yes, they did! Over 71,000 fans braved the cold and, yes, the snow to watch their hometown Buffalo Sabres play the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alas, Penguins’ hockey legend Sidney Crosby scored a goal in a shootout to eventually win it for the visitors, 2-1.
It was a treat to watch on television. The spectacle of outdoor hockey being played before legions of freezing but loyal fans and having portions of the game played in the snow added up to a surprise ratings bonanza for NBC. As a result, this outdoor NHL tradition has been held every New Year’s Day ever since as the annual event has traveled to several other cities.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the NHL Winter Classic as the outdoor rink comes to New York City. The game will be played at Citi Field, the home of baseball’s New York Mets. Despite a frigid forecast high temperature of 18 degrees and wind chill values around zero, a shivering sellout crowd of over 40,000 hockey fans is expected to be in attendance.
The Big Apple’s version of this annual hockey spectacle will provide the frigid fans with live music from brave performers such as the Goo Goo Dolls and Max Weinberg. Former Kiss guitarist, Ace Frehley, will warm-up the crowd by playing his hit song “New York Groove” to help celebrate the special occasion.
If you’re looking for something different to watch on New Year’s Day, give it a shot. The frozen puck drops at 1PM Eastern/ 12 Noon Central time on NBC.