Flyers-Bruins in Winter Classic
- Wednesday, June 24, 2009 4:42 PM
- Written By: Josh Marks
ESPN.com is reporting a source told senior writer E.J. Hradek that the Philadelphia Flyers will play the Boston Bruins in Fenway Park on New Year's Day as part of the third NHL Winter Classic.
There was speculation that the Washington Capitals would play the Bruins but apparently the NHL wants the Caps to play the New York Rangers at the new Yankee Stadium on New Year's Day 2011.
The popular outdoor event is likely being expanded into a doubleheader on Jan. 1 with the Flyers-Bruins being followed by the Leafs-Flames at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.
The inaugural Winter Classic in 2008 was played at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo and set an NHL attendance record of 71,217. Hockey fans braved the biting Upstate New York winter weather to watch the Pittsburgh Penguins defeat the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 on a shootout goal by Sidney Crosby.
The second Winter Classic took place at Chicago's Wrigley Field (pictured above) and pitted the Chicago Blackhawks against the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings won the game 6-4.
The Winter Classic has grown into a great showcase for the sport and draws in casual viewers who don't normally tune into hockey games as the solid TV ratings prove.
Beantown is sure to be buzzing just as Wrigleyville was for the event. However, a Washington-New York matchup in 2011 at the new Yankee Stadium featuring Alex Ovechkin and the bright lights of the Big Apple would be hard to beat in terms of generating excitement.
