Taking the ASG Outside

It's time for All-Star Weekend, with many people begrudgingly accepting this game and many refusing to watch and maybe shoveling themselves out of the snow-maggedon that's happening throughout the continent. But is there something that could actually make people take interest in this whole thing again, because it is a glorified shinny game-- we can all agree on that.

The only answer to this-- take it outside. Make the All-Star Game the Winter Classic and away you go.

There is an understanding that the NHL won't let this happen because you're combining two big moneymaking ventures and putting it into one, which not only takes away a revenue day for the NHL, but takes a revenue day away from another city. That alone could make it a deterrent for people to get on board, especially after the NHL is in its fifth year of revenue growth, which you can probably bank is on its ability to get sponsorship for their special events like the All-Star Game and Winter Classic as separate entities. Yet, while the money will be the big factor, that's about all I can see as a turn-off to making two become one, like so much Spice Girls. It almost seems like it makes sense in all honesty on a number of reasons.

First, while the appeal of playing a regular season game outside is something amazing, the fact remains it still is a league game and if push comes to shove, it could turn into a turning point in the standings for one of the teams if the conditions are perfect or they lose a player to injury because of the conditions. The All-Star Game as the Winter Classic could be something where the speed isn't going to be a factor, because it's already at a slower pace than a regular season game. Plus, there's not going to be much contact, thus the rate of injury from that goes down. The only concern is the ice condition, which could play a factor, but I don't know how much of one in the end since Dan Craig is a G-D magician with the conditions of the ice.

Second, players may not be inclined to decline an invitation because they want the weekend of rest. Now, injuries have played a factor into the lack of star power, but when the rosters were revealed, the amount of head-shaking of the "snubs" was monumental or something. But players may want to have the experience of playing outside and wouldn't have their GM lobby to keep them off the roster to rest if they want to participate something on this scale. Granted, you'll have situations like Jarome Iginla and Roberto Luongo dealing with family-- which is noble and family comes first. However, if it's just precautionary-- then it's a disservice to the league to have their best players sitting out because they don't want to "exert" themselves with this game.

Third, the outdoor game could go anywhere, which is something that the Winter Classic can't promise. The fact of the matter is that the Winter Classic is a game that's usually reserved for a match-up people will watch on TV; like the Caps/Pens and the Hawks/Wings. That means that most teams won't be apart of a match-up on the Winter Classic, even if they have some kind of stars on their team-- like Rick Nash on the Blue Jackets. This All-Star Game does a lot of the league-- it displays the stars of each team on a giant scale and if it's outside, you know the buzz will be there because people will watch the outdoor game even if they aren't interested in the outcome of the All-Star setting. It will also allow the game to travel around to markets that may not get a Winter Classic game because it's not a prime destination to make ice, even though like I said-- Dan Craig is a magician. Fans in those locales will enjoy seeing this possible once-in-a-lifetime event and see all the stars play like how they learn-- from a frozen pond.

The biggest stopping point is the money and revenue that the separate events bring in. If you combine the two into the one event, it slices the revenue in half and will probably kill a lot of the travel and buzz about the Winter Classic since it's a gimmick within a gimmick. Fans may not buy into it, but to make people care about the All-Star game-- player and fan alike, this seems like a no-brainer. But, with money being the biggest thing that comes in from both of these-- it'll probably never happen at all.

Next Western Winter Classic

The Winter Classic has come to a close for another year, so we now speculate on where it's going to be held next. There's been two Eastern Conference Classic's in the past two seasons, so you have to believe that there needs to be a Western Conference Classic coming up, though many of the East Coast biases would say the Heritage Classic in Calgary denotes one.

Regardless, the no-brainer is either a Colorado Avalanche at Coors Field or Minnesota Wild at TCF Bank Stadium or Target Field location for the next Winter Classic. Both are very hockey mad cities, both have the climate to be able to hold a Winter Classic (though this year's showed that the NHL ice crew can do anything in any climate), and there's a rivalry that each team could have. In fact, I think it's a great idea to have the two teams face off against each other; mostly so we don't have a repeat team.

However, the idea of a Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars game isn't horrible, if you put the Avs and Wild against each other, it's the two US teams from the Northwest Division, who get lost in the coverage because of the fact they are in with three other Canadian teams and play at insane times for being on the West Coast. Minnesota's hockey resume definitely speaks for itself, while Colorado is a two-time Cup winner and have had a lot of greats and future greats pass through their organization. It's a great display of good young talent out there.

That said, many would want to have the Winter Classic contain someone like the Detroit Red Wings or Chicago Blackhawks again, or even the Los Angeles Kings in order to get some ratings in, but sadly-- it's not always about ratings. Especially against a Pens/Caps Winter Classic which drew the best NHL ratings in 36 years. You cannot top something like that and you should put this gimmick to bed on a high-note-- but you won't because it's a great revenue generator and could be a reason to spotlight young teams who wouldn't normally get the big TV coverage.

The bottom line, the next Winter Classic has to be out west. If the idea of this is to truly grow the game, get past the Mississippi River once and a while and get those teams some TV time on the big stage. Also, no repeats-- because....come on, what fun is that if you keep having the Red Wings or Penguins or Capitals or Blackhawks in this game??

(Let it be known, I'm all for a Boise State Bronco Stadium game with the Phoenix Coyotes wearing the Winnipeg Jets blue's while on the blue turf.)

Making a Case for Future Winter Classics

While I know that it's April Fool's (which is something that used to be funny, but is now annoying with the internets), this is a completely serious craptastic piece used to be humorous, but will be a big flop. We had mentioned on FOHS, which will be up in six months, I'm sure-- about whether or not the Winter Classic will lose it's appeal, especially if it's match-ups people don't want to see, like the Penguins being in it twice in four editions.

Yet, while thinking about ideas-- there's definitely two I'd like to see. Granted-- these two ideas are very out there and would have to take a lot of work to sell, but if they could be able to pull it off, it could be fantastic for exposure. These ideas are all about gimmicks upon gimmicks. The NHL is keen on gimmicks, like it's the WWE-- which is why we have the Winter Classic. So, you take one gimmick and add another-- ratings gold.

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To start it off, the idea that we had on the show as a nightcap to the Winter Classic-- the Edmonton Oilers and Phoenix Coyotes at Bronco Stadium, on the Smurf Turf, in Boise, Idaho. What could be better, two teams that really need the exposure, playing in the cold January of Boise on top of the already gimmicky blue turf.

Of course, with the Humanitarian Bowl they have there, the game couldn't be part of the Winter Classic, but part of a second Winter Classic-- thus killing the nightcap idea, but still. The Oilers organization has already been in it and has a lot of young talent to show off to the American viewing public, since the Oilers haven't been nationally seen in the US since the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals. Think about Ales Hemsky and Taylor Hall/Tyler Seguin on a give-and-go against Ilya Bryzgalov while dealing the harsh Boise windstorm. It'd help the NHL to expose the Coyotes to the viewing public, as well, if they haven't gotten sold by then.

The worry for the NHL will probably be attendance and how to get people out there. The student body of Boise State would be in Winter break, so they won't get that pull, but I think there's enough interest from Eastern Washington and Oregon for people to come out from that far away. Plus, the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL (where they get "Noisy in Boise"-- get it??) could parlay this into an outdoor game for themselves, which would be nice to get them some exposure since the AHL Outdoor Classic was a success in Syracuse.

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The second idea was brought to me by The Girl who brought the idea of the Florida Panthers taking on the St. Louis Blues under the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri. To have a game of this magnitude under one of America's well-known landmarks would bring about a lot of buzz from everyone involved.

The good points about this are also downsides as well. Of course, you won't have to worry about getting a football team out of their stadium since there's nothing played there, but the thought of building make-shift stands to house people would be the main concern. Even still-- this way, the NHL can actually make the rules that way on how many people can come into the game, thus making the tickets a hot commodity in that respect. If that doesn't work, you can have the game at Busch Stadium III, where there's a panoramic view of the city and the Arch in the background-- which will give the appeal of the Arch, but not really wreck the landmark and risk fan safety by make-shift stands.

And while the Panthers can be replaced by whomever, the Blues are a solid franchise with a great appeal of the young players and a franchise that has a decent history about them. The fact John Davidson has turned the team around in a short time and really turned them around, they deserve the chance to be exposed to the nationwide audience and maybe get some fans to support and embrace this latest Youth Movement team.

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These are very out there and outlandish ideas, but it's something that the NHL needs to look at. With other teams, especially in the South and West, wanting to get into the exposure this game can bring-- you may have to go with unpopular choices as the teams and go into neutral territories for a game to work for teams in non-traditional markets. Plus, while some people may not like it-- it'll expose the public to other teams outside of the 6 to 8 teams the NHL likes to put onto display on the national stage.

For the Winter Classic to have longevity, the NHL will have to think outside the box to get more teams into the whole festiveness of it, as well as doing it in order to stop the repetition of areas it's going to be played in; which will eventually happen. Thankfully, Minnesota having two new outdoor stadiums being built; that adds another location to put it in and give the Wild some exposure they hoped to get when first getting the expansion team.

2010 World Championships Opening on Grand Scale

Forget the Winter Classic, forget the Ice Wars of 2001-- the IIHF and the German Ice Hockey Association is looking to go big for the opening of the 2010 World Hockey Championships. The Germans are going to make an announcement that the opening of the 2010 WHC will take place in Veltins-Arena, home of FC Schalke 04 in the Budaliga. The hope is that the Germans will quall the capacity 75,976; which would overtake the world record of Michigan/Michigan State game in 2001 that had an attendance of 74,554.

There's high hopes for the German Organization Committee is hoping for as many as 500,000 spectators for the 56 games with 1,000 journalist covering the event, and 800 million viewers worldwide to take in the event.

Now aside from the opener, the other arenas that will hold the event will be the SAP Arena in Mannheim and the Lanxess Arena in Cologne. The IIHF gave pass to the Veltins-Arena since all the WHC games have to be played in an enclosed arena, and luckily for the Germans, the Veltins-Arena has a closeable dome-- hizzah.

Now, with the Germans going big by huge, wil the NHL or another league (probably NCAA) decide to go really big. Luckily for the NHL, they have access the the biggest stadiums out there in some hockey towns. Granted-- this is a little bit of a branch off of my "What If" fantasy outdoor match-ups, but they could be plausible.

-Beaver Stadium; State College, Pennsylvania (107,282): This would be a perfect opportunity for the Battle of Pennsylvania on the big stage. The seating capacity is plentiful and what better way to spend a day in "Happy Valley" than seeing the Flyers and Penguins beat the crap out of each other??

-Michigan Stadium; Ann Arbor, Michigan (106,201): Sure, this has been done before with a big game in Michigan, but why not put the Red Wings in one of these events?? Oh, wait-- they're doing that at Wrigley.

-Ohio Stadium; Columbus, Ohio (102,329): Whether it's the Blue Jackets or The Ohio State University Buckeyes, there could be a solid turn out. It has the weather, the lake effect snow possibility, and big game atmosphere appeal to create a big draw.

-Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum; Los Angeles, California (93,607): It's a weather issue, but there's a chance to have a big TV market put out there and display another one of the talented young teams out there in the LA Kings.

-Cotton Bowl; Dallas, Texas (92,200): Sure, it's a reach; but if there's something the Stars could pull-off-- this could be the thing. It's a huge venue with plenty of history behind it-- but weather would be the huge factor in all of this....and we know it won't cooperate.

-FedEx Field; Landover, Maryland (91,704): The Alex Ovechkin factor would be in full effect for this one, but the only issue is the wacky mid-Atlantic weather at any time of the year that could queer the deal. Yet, if the NHL can make it happen-- they will find a way. I'm sure there's some spare parts from the old Capital Centre still laying around across the road there.

One can only dream, and of course the biggest stadiums are in the South or West; which creates the problem of weather-- but still. If the NHL would want to do something bigger than the International games; they'd find a way to do it and make it a huge event. We'll just have to wait and see.

Winter Classic Locale Wishlist

It has been announced that the 2009 Winter Classic will be held at Wrigley Field in Chicago, with rumors abound that the 2010 game will be played in new Yankee Stadium. Since this is the new fad of having a once-a-year outdoor game, here's a list of places where I'd love to see the Winter Classic played, in no particular order, of course-- and as a bonus; the possible match-up.

-Molson Stadium, McGill University (Montreal, PQ): Holding true with tradition, McGill University students wrote the first rules of hockey during the first organized game back in 1875. Though the 2010 game seems to be a lock, it would have been nice to have this for the Canadiens' 100th season festivities. Match-Up: Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

-Homewood Field, Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD): It's an odd choice, especially considering cold temperatures in Maryland at New Year's is hit and miss...mostly miss. That said, it does have historical value to it. Not only was Baltimore the place were the first artificial ice surface was made (no truth to the rumor that it is still used at First Mariner Arena), but Baltimore was the setting for the first ice hockey game in the US, as JHU took on Yale University in 1896, which ended in a 2-2 tie. Match-Up: Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers

-Michigan Stadium, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI): Michigan State got their chance in Lansing to show their stuff, but now UofM has their chance. Of course, the UofM would have a bigger scale with the NHL being the prime locale, but all the same-- it would be good for hockey in the Michigan region. Plus, add the Columbus Blue Jackets-- another UofM vs. Ohio State....well, not really-- but still. Match-Up: Detroit Red Wings vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

-Fenway Park (Boston MA): If Wrigley and the new Yankee Stadiums can hold it, why not the Green Monster at Fenway?? Granted, plans for Boston College and Boston University to host teams from the Midwest were scrapped, any success in Chicago and New York could put pressure for Boston to get with the times and host an outdoor NHL game. Match-Up: Boston Bruins vs. Carolina Hurricanes (get the Hartford connection....no??)

-Rideau Canal (Ottawa, ON): It's far fetched, but the Canal in winter time is a great place to be around. Plus, when it freezes, the Canal is the world's 2nd largest skating rink, next to the Assiniboine River in Winnipeg. The Senators have already explored options of using the Canal with temporary bleachers for spectators. Match-Up: Ottawa Senators vs. Minnesota Wild

-Canmore, AB: Why not have a game at this place?? It was the setting for the fine film Mystery, Alaska starring Russell Crowe. Plus, in January in the Rocky Mountains-- you're sure to have decent ice and frozen spectators. The only downside is no true stadium to have the game at. Match-Up: Calgary Flames vs. Edmonton Oilers

Of course this is just a short list, but I'm sure as time goes on-- I'll expand on it.

As you can see, all of these are above the Mason-Dixon line, and that's just common sense. Sadly, no Southern fans will be able to see it live, unless they travel all over to see it happen. That, or global cooling happens.......or they come up with some sort of super ice compresser for hotter states. Time will tell.

And before I get some emails concerning why there isn't a game in Minnesota-- tell the state to build an outdoor stadium with more than a 25,000 capacity and then I'll add it to the list. Trust me, I tried to fit Minnesota in, but all their stadiums are domed. Though, I did work the Wild into the Ottawa game.

What do you think?? Drop me a line and tell me why my picks stink.