Saturday Faceoff: Locale of 2013 Winter Classic?

The Winter Classic has taken on a life of its own since the debut of it in 2008. In just two days, the NHL’s biggest event of the year will take place at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Before that, though, Erika and I debate where the Classic should be held in 2013…

Put the Classic in the nation’s capital
By Erika Schnure

When the 2011 Winter Classic was announced between the Capitals and the Penguins in Pittsburgh, Capitals general manager George McPhee held a press conference regarding the event, during which he revealed that a Classic would be held in Washington in the very near future. In fact, McPhee said he told the NHL that the only way the Capitals would agree to play in the 2011 Winter Classic was if D.C. could hold a Classic of their own within the next five years.

Capitals owner Ted Leonsis mirrored that statement in a blog entry. "The NHL has made a commitment to our fans and to the Washington Capitals that they will produce an NHL Winter Classic game here in Washington, D.C. within a reasonable amount of time," Leonsis said. "I'm really excited that we'll be able to play an outdoor game in Washington, D.C. No details have been finalized as to when, where, and against whom, but know we will do our best to produce a great event."

That D.C. Winter Classic could reasonably take place in January 2013. The Penguins played two Winter Classics in three years (2008 and 2011), and so have the Flyers (2010 and 2013), so there is already a precedent for playing in two Classics in a short period of time.

People unfamiliar with Washington may think that the city has a warmer climate, being farther south than any previous Winter Classic; but D.C. does actually experience cold winters, averaging around 30 degrees through the winter months. Not to mention the events of February 2010, known to D.C. residents as "Snowpocalypse," when over 30 inches of snow was dumped on the city in just two days.

The climate is right, so what about location?

If the NHL is looking for more of a historic location, as they did with Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Stadium, built in 1961, fits the bill. With the MLB's Washington Nationals now playing at a new park, D.C. United (MLS) is the only team currently using RFK on a regular basis, meaning it usually sits empty during the winter. The stadium's baseball capacity is over 45,000, and from it, you can see the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol, setting a beautiful stage for such a heavily-produced event.

The other likely locale would be the brand-new Nationals Park, built in 2008, drawing parallels with this year's location, Citizens Bank Park, also built recently (2004). The ballpark has all the newest amenities the NHL could ask for, plus a capacity of over 41,000. Also with a sightline to the U.S. Capitol, it's a more modern location that still provides the feel of being close to city landmarks.

With D.C. at the height of Capitals mania, 2013 is the perfect time to put the Winter Classic in Washington. As the league is expected to be realigned by that time, the Capitals could take advantage of budding rivalries and match up against a new division foe that has not yet participated in a Classic. A 2013 Winter Classic featuring the Capitals and, say, the New Jersey Devils would be a great draw for fans up and down the mid-Atlantic.
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‘The Big House’ would be a great setting
By Ryan Porth

The NHL is running out of well-known historic stadiums to put the Winter Classic in. An obvious choice that is available, one that has been utilized in the college hockey ranks, is Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Yes, the Red Wings were just a part of this event in 2009 at Wrigley Field, but that scenario didn’t stop the NHL from having Philadelphia or Pittsburgh as repeat participants in recent years.

If the Red Wings were to ever host the Winter Classic, ‘The Big House’ may be the best option (though 45 minutes away from downtown Detroit). When you look at past venues for the Winter Classic – Fenway Park in Boston, Wrigley Field in Chicago – Michigan Stadium has that same mystique at the college football level. It opened in 1927, but has since been renovated and expanded.

Last season, the University of Michigan hosted rival Michigan State at Michigan Stadium. 104,073 attended the college game, a world record for a hockey game. The only other viable stadium in the Detroit is the home of the Detroit Tigers, Comerica Park, which doesn’t have the same draw, mystique, or capacity as ‘The Big House’.

Who should play the Wings in Ann Arbor? If the NHL would want a historic matchup in the historic stadium, either the Montreal Canadiens or Toronto Maple Leafs would be a good fit.

Some of you might say that neither the Leafs nor Habs should participate since they aren’t in the U.S.; personally, I don’t believe this event should exclude Canadian teams, especially since the Heritage Classic isn’t an annual event (at least not yet).

Detroit is arguably the most popular NHL club in the U.S. and its fan base is located throughout the country, so I don’t think getting viewers would be a problem if they were the lone American team. Plus, viewers would switch from whatever college football bowl game just to see a sporting event in front of 100,000-plus fans, right?

With the Habs, it would be a marquee matchup between historic Original Six franchises. The two have combined to win 35 Stanley Cups. They also met five times in the Stanley Cup Final during the 50’s and 60’s. But would the NHL want to include them just two years after the Heritage Classic in Calgary?

Meanwhile, Toronto would be an equally appealing matchup. These Western Conference rivals from yesteryear are located less than five hours apart and would create a huge buzz in a hockey-driven region. The Leafs are also on the way up, with the likes of Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf leading back to contention.

If NBC demands the opponent to stay in the States, there are a few teams that would make sense. Boston, who hosted the Classic in 2010, would act as that historic opponent for the Wings. What about Central Division rivals Chicago or St. Louis, or non-division rivals (yet unlikely opponents) San Jose or Colorado? Washington would provide flair, but would be an unlikely opponent since they’ll be hosting the event soon enough.

Whoever the opponent would be, though, filling Michigan Stadium would not be an issue. Would they be able to break the record set by the Wolverines and Spartans? Who knows. And you know the weather wouldn’t be a concern either like it has been in the mid-Atlantic, both last and this year.

It’d certainly be a successful event from the NHL’s point of view. It may or may not be the best option for 2013, but I’d love to see it happen eventually.

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