It all but looks like the Winter Classic will be appearing in Boston on January 1, 2010. Bruins' owner Jeremy Jacobs is expecting it and now it seems to be narrowed down to two opponents. But don't look for the much anticipated Montreal Canadiens to be on the list. One of the longest NHL rivalries isn't looking like a possibility right now.
The two opponents named by ESPN are the Washington Capitals and the Philadelphia Flyers. If the Flyers are looking to host their own Winter Classic, then Washington would be the favorite and it would showcase Alexander Ovechkin. I half expected to the see the New York Rangers be a contender.
Fans of Boston and Montreal might be disappointed the teams aren't meeting up in an outdoor game. I can understand why, but I also expect the Canadiens to participated in another Winter Classic in Canada. Edmonton hosted the original "Heritage Classic" and faced off against Montreal. It wouldn't be fair to the other 29 teams if Montreal got the chance to play outside twice in seven years.
The way the Winter Classics are going, it might be a better balance to flip it East and West, but also include the teams in Canada. The first Winter Classic was in Buffalo, and last season was in Chicago, so it's fair the game comes East again. But personally, I would like to see Canada get into the rotation and host the next Winter Classic after the Bruins. How great would it be to have Vancouver host the Winter Olympics in 2010 and the Winter Classic in 2011?
All of the Winter Classic details will be confirmed and announced in July when the 2009-2010 NHL schedule is released.
1 Comments
Yeah, but it should be the Canadiens. 8)
1. Posted by Brian | June 5, 2009 8:13 AM