Overexposing the Outdoor Game

The brain-trust over at The Fourth Period, Dave Pagnotta and Dennis Bernstein, have said that they may have found out of some plans to have not one, not two, but THREE outdoor games in the NHL starting as soon as next season. Pagnotta and Bernstein say there could be a series of outdoor games to co-op the losses of revenue from the lockout and the players going over to Sochi, thus eliminating the All-Star Game.

Next year's Winter Classic will be the rematch of the game that never happened-- Maple Leafs and Red Wings from the Big House at the University of Michigan. The other places that have been discussed, as Pagnotta and Bernstein have put out there, are Los Angeles (Dodger Stadium) and New York (Yankee Stadium).

Of course, this is all brainstorming at this point, as nothing has been made available to the general viewing public, but it would make up for lost revenue and bring more attention to the NHL as a whole should this ordeal come to fruition. The multiple games would give more shots to teams that may not be able to have outdoor games, as well as bring in more of an audience for the spectacle.

Though, the biggest question right now is does this oversaturate the specialness of the Winter Classic and the special date on the calendar it has for many hockey fans. Granted, there are a lot of people who love the outdoor game and would enjoy having multiple occurrences, but will that last for long?? I've always been of the proponent that you'll soon run out of markets that could handle an outdoor games, thus making it more limited-- but the league starts to have three games and kill three markets at a time-- how much longer could it last??

It's not as if we haven't seen problems, either. It was too cold in Calgary for the Heritage Classic, there has been weather delays, postponing the start of the games, and overall-- while a successful gimmick in the end-- may overwork those people who have to put the ice together and break it down to take it to the next placement. Dan Craig can only do so much in the allowed time he would need for each venue and a limited window in each market to have the perfect ice so that it's playable and not a danger to the players involved.

Would people clamor to go to the games?? Of course, it's an amazing event and something that many would want to see. The multiple locations would give more fans a chance to see it on a regular basis without having to break the bank on travel. The idea would make up for lost revenue and maybe create new revenue streams to help the league make up for lost money during the lockout.

That said, how many times a year can the NHL go to the well and expect a waterfall of money poured onto them. While in theory it's a great, if you start to take away the unique nature that the Winter Classic (and to a lesser extent, Heritage Classic) has brought to the NHL lexicon, it's starts to possibly devalue the whole thing, leading people to not care as much for missing the outdoor games because they would know that there's another one coming up later in the season.

Leave the Winter Classic as it is and let's not try to give everyone an outdoor game a year because there will be a time where the gimmick has run its course and it's back to the drawing board to think of something better to make money.

Why One Outdoor Game Isn't That Bad

According to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN, there won't be a Heritage Classic for the 2011-12 season. Of course, the Heritage is the Canadian version of the Winter Classic; but in the grand scheme-- it's not the worst idea out there.

Last year, there was numerous amounts of outdoor games, which some take in stride-- but to someone like me, it seemed like a bit of overkill. I enjoy the gimmick of the outdoor hockey game and having been to one-- it's like nothing I've ever experienced. But at the same time, you have a limited amount of places to hold it; and the places you do hold it at sometimes don't have the best conditions-- even in winter.

Then you move to the Heritage Classic, which usually has two Canadian teams in it. There's only seven teams in Canada. Your pool is increasingly more shallow, and while you'll have the turnout all the time....seeing the same place over and over again for an outdoor game could lose it's luster. It's the same reason people hate seeing the same teams in the event every year, despite them making the ratings on TV jump.

It's not an entirely bad thing because you won't saturate the ideal of the game, while also increasing the hype and the push for the Heritage Classic to come back to the Canadian market. It was eight years from one Heritage Classic to another, so they can sustain the love for the outdoor game regardless of the time frame. It's instilled in the nature and really puts more of the spotlight on the Winter Classic, as it would be the only chance for the NHL to take it outdoors.

The Heritage Weekend That Was

The pomp, the circumstance, the hand-warmers. The weekend that was in Calgary couldn't have been better done, even though the organizers couldn't control the weather-- one day, but not yet. From the Saturday practices and alumni game, to the big show of the Heritage Classic, followed by the WHL Outdoors game-- the festivities were something that many Calgarians and Canadians will remember for some time, especially if they can't get to another one.

The stadium was full of rabid fans, packed shoulder to shoulder and full of spirit(s). It showed that it was a game that was very much in demand and something that was needed for the city of Calgary. Granted, the revenue from sponsorships surpassed the Winter Classic's in the past shows that Canadian companies love hockey and will put their money to not only get their name out there, but to support something they strongly believe in. Of course, the outcome made it even better for more than half the crowd dressed in scarlet-red and yellow-- looking like a Fixin' Bar at a Roy Rogers from 1986.

When it came to the WHL game, it was so underground-- it didn't even have a proper name; it was just called WHL Outdoors. Even so, 20,888 showed up, which surprised me only because of the fact that it was a cheaper alternative and turned out to be a better day on a Holiday Monday. It also turned out to be a good game, with Regina scoring the game-winner with 36.2 seconds left in the third period and while they did set a CHL and Junior Hockey record single-game attendance-- it could have been so much more. Regardless, it was a success in terms of getting people out to see the two worst teams in the WHL in a thrilling game.

There has been little criticism when it comes to the Heritage Classic-- mainly with the scheduling of the game; and to that I agree. When this first outdoor game happened in 2003, it was in November and just as teams started to get their legs underneath them. The fact this game is with about a quarter of a season left and teams in dogfights-- it's something you really don't want to risk; having an outdoor game screw up things because one thing or another go wrong because of conditions. If you're playing this late and already playing catch-up, it's just puts you deeper in the hole if you can't win.

In any case, it was about the fans. The gauge I got from some of my friends that were there was this was an amazing event and well done by the league and Flames organization. The temperature didn't affect too many people, mostly due to the availability of booze and chicken soup-- or both into one. Fans enjoy the company of the rival, with little to no complaints being put out there to my knowledge. The weekend earlier was Hockey Day in Canada, but Sunday was a best encore you could have hoped for over-- then the hangover Monday sealed a great weekend of hockey in Calgary.

Would it be wise for the NHL to do two or more outdoor games a year?? If they want to go for the gimmick while it's hot-- then yes. However, with not many Canadian teams and few American locales you can have it at; it creates a difficult conundrum. You'd love to have this kind of exposure, but if you over do it-- the vibe of having that one game a year kind of gets a bit diminished. You have the Winter Classic and if there should be a Heritage game to be had, then go for it-- but you don't force it. Maybe have the Heritage every other year and build the hype that, but if you go over two for an NHL season-- it just becomes another game.

Semantics aside, the final product delivered beyond the lack of true hype it got. The people came out in droves and lapped up every bit they could. It was great for the city, the teams, and the league. It did what it's exact task and got interests from those who wanted to take interest in it. The setting was stellar, the weather was as many remembered when playing on that pond, and it will be a lasting memory for all who participated in it.

Friday Five: Calgary's Cold Classic

Another week is done and it's time for the Friday Five, where we tackle some news and notes from the week and what-not. It's a busy weekend coming up, so let's get it going.

1. With the Heritage Classic coming up, and it's supposed to be chilly. How is that going to affect things??

The temperature seems to increasingly gets colder and colder by the day for game-day. It was hovering around the freezing mark, but as of when I publish this-- it's supposed to be -9c (16f) and partially cloudy. It'll definitely be a test to the coaches and how they are going to adjust their game-plan to go with the elements. Considering both these teams are in a playoff fight, every point and every goal will count. Should be fun jockeying for sure.

2. The NHL has said that the Heritage Classic has surpassed Winter Classic revenues; but many in the US haven't gotten much coverage of the game until the past few weeks. How's that work??

I think the big thing with the Heritage game is that they have some bigger name companies sponsoring this game-- like Tim Horton's, Canadian Tire, Blackberry, and ScotiaBank; very big names to this event. Plus, with all the events being Canadian based, it seems that the American broadcasters aren't going to be too keen on it all. Even some Canadian broadcasters didn't hype up the game until the past couple of weeks. It should be a solid game now that both teams are in a playoff hunt and people around the city seem to get more and more into it. Good times by all.

3. The Senators are in full fire sale mode, but will the rebuild be as easy as they are thinking it'll be??

Not at all. The fact they are swapping for picks shows that they either have a lot of faith in the guys coming up from Binghamton and other prospects or they know this will be a five-year plan that'll grow as these draft picks develop. Either way, it's a bad situation for the team and it's fans. Odds are, Bryan Murray and Cory Clouston won't be back and it'll be a new start and probably more growing pains that'll come along with it. It seemed to breakdown really quickly for this organization and who knows how quick the rebuild will be or if it actually makes them come back to their President's Trophy form again. It's tough times in Ottawa....but at least the ASG visits there next year.

4. If you're the Vancouver Canucks, how much do you worry when you have a defenseman go anywhere on the ice??

The injuries on the blueline for the Canucks are insane, with five regular defensemen out; but the fact they still are atop the league in points speaks to their depth. Plus, with all these guys healthy for the playoffs-- they could be the team to beat. Granted, that's been said for a while never come to fruition, but it's wishful thinking if nothing else. When push comes to shove, the Canucks have enough talent to counteract the defensive injuries and should come out of this stronger than before.

5. The trade deadline is coming up and the market is frantic already. Will the actual deadline day provide a decent number of moves, or could it be a dud due to early trading??

There will probably be minor moves for role guys, but it's going to be nothing ground-breaking. It's a lot easier for the GMs to trade players earlier if there's a deal because it'll adapt them to the system quicker and they won't be scurrying to make sure the chemistry is there. Plus, with a lot of teams out West and some teams in the East in contention for a playoff spot-- odds are teams aren't going to be so willing to get rid of a guy that could benefit them in the end.

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That's it for this week and if you want to submit some topics for future F5's, email me at Scotty.Wazz@Gmail.com and let me know what you answered. Also, I'll be at the Heritage Classic doing things this weekend, so look for updates from there if there's something to be had.

Where's the Heritage Heat??

We're a little more than two weeks away from the Heritage Classic at Calgary's McMahon Stadium, where the Calgary Flames host the Montreal Canadiens in the second outdoor game in the NHL season. However, even as I go around town on my off days, the heat within the city doesn't seem to be as widespread as there has been for the Winter Classic or even All-Star Game. The hype machine seems to be reserved for some spots in the local papers and in sporting goods stores that are selling the event merchandise.

But what is the reason for the lack of publicity this thing is getting?? Lyle Richardson of Spector's Hockey and I discussed this twice on Face Off Hockey Show; including one that didn't get aired because of the snow.

One of the reasons is that this game is not part of the Hockey Day in Canada celebration, which is the week earlier. The thought behind this has to be that CBC could profit more from two different events than to combine them into one. It's all about the money, folks-- this shows. This game is actually part of Hockey Weekend Across America and specifically on the Hockey Day in America broadcast on NBC. CBC must be in cahoots with Evgeni Nabokov because they misjudged this whole thing, because what's more Canadian than outdoor hockey?? If there's a great way to end that day of celebration for hockey in Canada-- this would have been it. Yet, they saw a chance to get more viewers to put it on different dates and then put it in 3-D, which makes this a bit of a CF situation when you look back at it.

Another reasoning could be the match-up, many people may not see it as one to get excited about-- which I could understand. The rivalry is not like the Caps/Pens was, but these are two teams who faced off in two Stanley Cup finals back in the '80s-- there is a decent history between the two teams. Also, these teams are battling for a playoff spot; which seems a bit easier for the Canadiens, as the Flames are battling and clawing back from their early-season stumble. The match-up has a lot of underlying stories to it, aside from their match-ups in the Finals, but it because this is not one we regularly see-- it's something people may not understand the logic for it.

Finally, it could just be burnout of events for people. Let's be honest, this game is very late into the season and with the Winter Classic and All-Star Game proceeding it, fans could just be burned out from everything else. Plus, a week later, you have the trade deadline-- which many people will get hyped for and will get people to forget about this game, especially if it's bad. Yet, with not much promotion going into it and one of the most exciting non-game-days events happening a week after.....it's destined to get lost in the fold.

In time, this could be the forgotten outdoor game when all is said and done. With everything else preceding this, maybe fans are burned out from the pomp and circumstance that they just can't deal with the ending of this all and just want it to be over. Whatever it is, the fact is that while it'll be an enjoyable event-- it'll probably not be as fondly remembered as other outdoor games. Even so, I'll be lucky enough to attend-- so even if others may not remember it; I won't.

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.

Friday Five: Talking the Talk

As we move to a long weekend for those in the US, we get into this week's Friday Five where we'll look at players talking some smack to the TV networks covering them, we talk about some playoffs, and we head outside again.

1. Islanders Zenon Konopka told TSN's cameras the Isles aren't a doormat during the morning skate, then they had 6 goals put on them that night by Ottawa; including four-goals in seven minutes in the second. Whaaaa happen??

While Konopka does have a point that the Islanders really aren't as bad as their record details, I don't believe that they are past the doormat status just yet. They have a lot of great young talent, but still need a piece here or there to actually be consistently good and maybe actually surprise some people during the season. Yet, with a lack of solid goaltending and consistent offensive output; the Isles will still be looked down upon.

2. As we hit the half-way point, what teams could make a run at the playoffs and which teams could drop off??

In the Eastern Conference, I think that anywhere from 9th to 1st could shuffle until the end of the year, though beyond 10th will have a rough go about it. Out West, I'm not sure if the San Jose Sharks could come back, as they are 12th, but at the same time-- they could realize who they are and make a push for it. The same goes for the Los Angeles Kings, who are better than their record says. The West could be a better shootout coming down to the end, while the East will be three teams for the last two spots.

3. Rookies like James Reimer and Robin Lehner have started to be at the focal point getting some playing time and while they may be ready-- should teams worry about rushing such inexperienced players??

Especially with goalies, it's always rough to rush them to the NHL with little experience and then ride them for the long-term. In Reimer's case, especially, the media attention will only put more pressure on him the better that he does for the the Leafs. With Lehner, he's in a no-lose situation with how bad the Senators have been in net since their inception, so he could adapt with the team's struggles. The big thing is burnout with the young goalies and if they are overused, it could make it harder and harder for them to recover from their short-comings. However, if they get mentally tough-- they'll be able to bounce-back from the struggles.

4. This weekend is the fifth game for the nine outdoor games this season, as the Spokane Chiefs host the Kootenay Ice. Thoughts??

First, you should head over to T-Rawk and the Canadian vs. the Yanks blog for the preview and then review of the Rockstar Outdoor Classic. With this, we've hit the midway point of the outdoor games and it seems they've done a lot of great work in Spokane, but there are showers in the forecast. At the same time, it's a colder rain, which could be better than what happen in Pittsburgh with the warm weather and rain. Even with tickets available, it should be a great event.

5. With the horrific Guardian Project going on and being mocked harshly-- is there any mascot that could defeat these "guardians??"

Right off the bat, I know The Hurricane couldn't beat Stormy the Pig because....well, pigs aren't going to blow over that easily to wind. I also think that Blades and the unofficial Bruin could defeat The Bruin in a handicap match. That said, the only Guardian who could win right now is The Lightning destroying Thunderbug.

However, I can't wait until the North Star, the Nordique, the Whaler, the Scout, and the Rockie come back to take over the Guardians at the ultimate showdown at the ASG.

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That's another week done and if you have suggestions for topics or whatever-- Scotty.Wazz@Gmail.com is where you can get a hold of me and suggest whatever. Enjoy your hockey weekend people.

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.)

Fixing the ASG

According to TSN's guru Darren Dreger, the All-Star Game process will be fixed in a way that the captains of the two sides will be picking their own team. This way, the players will be in control of the roster where "game recognizes game."

The best part about this is the exclusion of the fans from this process. On The Show and in the media for years, we've talked about the stupidity of fans when it comes to voting. Especially with the internet being as popular as it is today, campaigns like "Vote for Rory," where Rory Fitzpatrick would get voted onto the All-Star team; and now more recently with a possible "Vote for BizNasty" which would be the same by with Paul Bissonnette, it's proof positive that the fans don't take it seriously.

And they shouldn't have to.

But at the same time, you'd think they'd want some kind of respectible roster for this glorified shiny game; but since it is a shiny game in the end-- you can't be surprised or repulsed by the mockery they make of the once prideful exhibition. The game itself doesn't have the same shine it used to have and when people get tired of it-- they'll do anything to wreck it or to at least get it noticed that it needs to get fixed in some fashion or another. You'd think that the NHL would get it and the fan's mockery would give the game a whole overhaul.

Not so much.

But the captain's picking the team is somewhat of a change. Whether it's a step in the right direction or not, who's to say-- but it's a step. The next thing is to do something to make it meaningful again because there's no such thing as conference pride. I doubt the MLB model, where the winner is the home-team of the Stanley Cup final, will be what curses it all and give it meaning; but something more needs to be done. While this is a solid change, more has to be done about it. I also don't think putting it as the Winter Classic would work because it'd limit the options the places that could hold it....though with technology, it could be anywhere, I'm sure. Plus, it'd take out an outdoor regular season game-- which would be so bad in the end and the picking of the teams would bring back the pick-up aspect.

In any case, the captains would have to live and die with their decision and it'll create some more interesting subplots if they selected a player over another more qualified player. Also, does this mean that each team has to be represented it or does that go out the window now and it's pretty much free reign?? Granted-- picking from 15 teams shouldn't be too hard, but in the same breath-- if you're put under the gun to pick someone from a non-star-studded team over a player who's decent but already has a representative from their team-- it'd be rough to deal with the perimeters.

The best part about this, the game could have players everyone can enjoy rather than fans picking a player based on an internet meme. While we all enjoy the hilarity aspect of an often healthy scratch or fringe player being a starter in the ASG, it definitely signaled the need for change to the whole ASG format. Maybe this is the start of a complete overhaul or if this is the complete overhaul, but at least some kind of steps are being made.....or not-- it's hard to tell for now.

Make It Nine Outdoor Games

In what could be the biggest gimmick to not die since the Brooklyn Brawler....there's yet ANOTHER outdoor game going on. The Connecticut Whale (nee Hartford Wolf Pack) announced that they would be holding an outdoor game against the Providence Bruins as part as Whalers Hockey Fest 2011 on February 19th.

So, let's see what kind of count we have for outdoor games this year:

AJHL: November 26th, 2010: Drayton Valley Thunder at Fort McMurray Oil Barons
NCAA: December 4th, 2010: Concordia University at Adrian College Bulldogs
NCAA: December 11th, 2010: Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Wolverines
NHL: January 1st, 2011: Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins
WHL: January 15th, 2011: Kootenay Ice at Spokane Chiefs
Finnish Elite: February 5th, 2011: Jokerit at HIFK
AHL: February 19th, 2011: Providence Bruins at Connecticut Whale
NHL: February 20th, 2011: Montreal Canadiens at Calgary Flames
WHL: February 21st, 2011: Regina Pats at Calgary Hitmen

So, how Henry Winkler isn't going to every game to jump over the rinks-- because this idea has truly jumped the shark because it's a nice little cash grab. You know it's out of hand when the Central League and Southern Professional League get into the mix below the Mason-Dixon Line. Plus, you can bet there's going to be a Russian game, as they have done it in the past-- so it's getting to the breaking point. Sad, because it could have been something special-- now it's oversaturated.

Yet Another Outdoor Game

As I was cruising the CCSLC message boards and I came across this thread and it made me shake my head.

That's right, it's another outdoor game, this time in Finland. I guess I can get into this one more than the flock that seems to be happening in Western North America. I mean, Jokerit and HIFK are two of the more notable teams to come out of Finland and this should be more than just a novelty. It's a season game and the game poster is pretty bitchin', I won't lie.

However, that said-- I'll always be against regular season games outside. Sure, it's nice and all; but it could be an important game in the end for the standings and you could lose a big name player because the ice is messed up. Granted, that could happen from a regular game at a control rink-- but if you want to make it special; do it like the KHL does and make it the All-Star Game, where players know that it's not going to be intense and it's not going to be for anything in the standings-- less of a chance for injury. Plus, you get all the stars in one place and not just two teams fighting it out.

This is just another in a long line of games that will be held out in the elements and it could work out better in Finland than other places because it always seems cold there, even in summer.....or not; I've never been-- would like to, though. In any case-- enjoy it Finnish folks, it should be a riot.

Friday Five: Looking Ahead

Since I'm very close to having theme days everyday, like so much radio morning zoo; I might as well bookend the work week with a gimmick. Of course, we'll see how this goes and if it's well liked; keep it moving. In any case, the Friday Five was an old "survey" that seemed to take LiveJournal by storm in the early 00's. May as well do something like that in the early '10s and see if it has legs.

The premise-- five questions are asked and answered. Simple concept, simple idea, simple blogger. It's all pretty much current events for the questioning, though if something interesting jump into the fray; we'll go from there.

1. How many of the top-5 drafted at the 2010 Draft will actually play past 10 games this year??

Last year, we had four of the five top picks play all season, with Brayden Schenn playing only one game in an emergency role. 2008 had all but Alex Pietrangelo play past ten games, while Pietrangelo was sent back to junior last year, too. With this class, I can see Taylor Hall sticking and maybe Tyler Seguin, but after that-- I don't know how quick the other three will go. Erik Gudbranson has the size, but I don't know if Florida will rush him into the line-up for a year; with the Portland duo of Ryan Johansen and Nino Niederreiter being wild cards-- especially as they play for teams who could intermingle a young player into the line-up and get them to develop with the other youngsters and grow with the team. However, a solid pick-- I'd go with three of the five, Johansen and Gudbranson staying in juniors.

2. Staying with rookies, who's going to take the Calder Trophy race by storm??

If you believe in the "Sean-O Rookie Theorem," then none of the top candidates will even get a whiff at the Calder and a second-half surprise player will swoop in and get the hardware. Plus, it's actually a solid year for rookies, especially those who played in the late games last year and during the playoffs-- particularly PK Subban and John Carlson. That said, it's going to take a lot for Taylor Hall NOT to win the Calder. The kid is a dynamic player that the Oilers are building around and is a two-time Memorial Cup MVP. He's a stud and should be making a solid impact to the Oilers roster.

3. There's at least five outdoor games slated this year, with Canadian juniors (two WHL and one AJHL) and the two NHL games. How long before the gimmick goes stale??

While there's no truth to the rumor that Henry Winkler will be at the AJHL game to jump over Joe Thornton, it is getting a little too out of hand. I know people say that it's a great idea and always sells; but at the same time-- it's diluted. This was originally there for a nice appeal game every once a while, then turned into an annual thing-- which is fine, it's a bit special. But when everyone is going to the cash cow, the utter is bound to get chaffed and not produce anymore milk.

4. Where's the best location for the next outdoor game being announced this year??

Sure, it's jumped the shark, but I love gimmicks....as you can tell. The next game HAS TO BE the ECHL announcing that the Idaho Steelheads will play on the SmurfTurf of Boise State. That's like two gimmicks-in-one, which will be gimmick overload for me and I will have to make the journey there to see such a thing. At this point, why won't the ECHL do this-- it'd be fantastic. Though, you can bet the AHL and ECHL will jump on it like the Sugar Hill Gang soon enough.

5. With camps coming up, who is the biggest guy on the bubble right now with their team and in limbo between the NHL and AHL....or lower??

Obviously, you have the guys like Jonathan Cheechoo and Marcus Nilson getting try-out invites; they're definitely on the bubble in terms of staying into hockey. However, guys who are under contract; you have to wonder if Angelo Esposito can come back from a run of bad luck to crack the Thrashers roster, especially with them loading up on the Blackhawks cast-offs. Also, you have to believe that Fabian Brunnstrom of the Dallas Stars could looking at going between Dallas and Cedar Park, Texas if he doesn't have a good camp. After all the hype, Brunnstrom has fallen short after his first 10 game explosion with the Stars. Could be down to Cheechoo and Brunnstrom, which will be an interesting battle.

So, that's it for the Friday Five this week and we'll see what kind of reception it gets. If you have some questions for the F5, as the kids are calling it, email me at Scotty.Wazz@gmail.com with your questions and we'll see if we can work it in here and again.

Hertiage Classic Presser Experience

Today, August 4th, the NHL held their press conference to talk about the Heritage Classic that will be held at Calgary's McMahon Stadium on February 20th, 2011 between the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens. Luckily, myself and The Girl were able to attend, and thanks to Nicole Buckley and the NHL for allowing that to happen.

The experience is none like I've ever been to. Sure, I've attended plenty of Drafts, but there's something about this press conference that was different and had a bit of a more personal feel to it all. Plus, it wasn't a whole slew of reporters, so the intimacy level and the ability to get some kind of one-on-one time with some of the players and team representatives (which I'll share in a bit) was pretty nice to have to. There was some kind of buzz around it because it is a special game, even if some think that the gimmick may run it's course if overused. In any case, the NHL did a great job to set-up the stadium like it would be for the game and to have the fancy dias with the boards as a background.

Off the bat, the logo itself (seen above) is something that's simple, but works amazingly. With the mountains and Calgary cityscape on either side with the Bow River separating the two, it's something that is very well done and up there with one of the better event logos. As far as the jerseys-- first the Canadiens don't stray much, as they are going with close to their same jersey they use now, but I believe with some different font type on the nameplate and numbers.

As for the Flames, that's the most extreme change. First, they are using a modernized-retro-hybrid (I'm patent-pending that, folks), which combines the Flames colors and the style of the Calgary Tigers from the 1920s. It's a great idea to bring the heritage of Calgary hockey, but keeping the Flames logo out there to the forefront. The one interesting thing to see is the cream colored pants that the Flames will wear with the jerseys. Not since the 1974-75 Washington Capitals have there been a light color pant used in the NHL and while it'll be good for a one-off game, it still be interesting to see how they look period-by-period.

The intimacy that I talked allowed me to get some time in with Flames player Curtis Glencross. I asked him about what it felt like playing in a game like this and how he feels about the new duds.



Next, I talked with the Flames President Ken King, who was able to talk about how the jersey came together and how the idea came together about getting the WHL's Hitmen to play the next day against the Regina Pats.



Also, we got to to talk to Kevin Weekes, who was the MC for the event and very chill to talk to about the game. Sadly, didn't get to tape it because I'm a goose, but still. Nice to share some stuff with a former player of the game about one of the bigger events in the game.

All-in-all, it was a great display and should be able to bring a lot of buzz to Calgary and the hockey community around it. The one thing I forgot to ask Mr. King and something he brought up is the weather. Calgary weather is very....odd, to put it lightly. It'll be interesting to see how the weather will hold up for this game and if it'll be a factor in one extreme to another. Hopefully, I'll be able to do a post about the experience at the actual game, but only time will tell.

Baltimore Hockey History: First Artificial Ice

Many months back, I talked about how I was hoping to do something in regards to the history of hockey when it came to Baltimore. And while I'm not one for doing research for things, this one had to be done in a type of research way since there's not much on the internet when it pertains to 19th century hockey. It took some toiling and some asking, but I found probably some very interesting information in regards to early hockey in the Baltimore area. Today, we'll start with the start of indoor hockey, the first artificial ice rink.

I will say, Baltimore has never really been known for having the best rinks in the past. Anyone who has skated at Benfield Pines or Patterson Park rinks can attest to that. Yet-- somehow, someway, the early pioneers of the indoor skating concept got it right and it happened in Baltimore, no less. The rink was located, as far as I can tell, near where St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church is between Charles and St. Paul Streets, along 20th Avenue in Baltimore. As far as I can tell, the exact location of the rink wasn't designated and it is now a vacant lot.

The exact dimensions of the rink were described thanks to an except from the Baltimore Sun from December 27th, 1894 a day after the North Avenue Rink (later known as the North Avenue Casino and Sports Centre) first opened.

The building is of brick with a graystone front and iron roof, and is 75 feet by 300 feet. The skating surface is 55 feet by 250 feet on a foundation resting solidly on the ground. Seven consecutive floors were laid with interlinings of waterproof paper and wool. On this foundation is build a seamless pan, which contains the artificially frozen ice for skating. Over three and one-half miles of one and one-half inch pipe are laid throughout the pan. This is covered by four inches of water, which is frozen solid to 100 tons of ice in 37 hours.

Saying it in an old-timey voice makes it even radder.

Now, for such a task to happen, you'd need a nuclear winter in most cases for that kind of speed in that day in age. However, someone, somewhere in Baltimore thought of a refrigeration system to which they probably rejoiced by throwing their index-finger in the air going "EUREKA!!" before stroking their beard in a old-timey way. Here comes the science.

The refrigerating system is by means of compressed liquefied ammonia allowed to expand in the pipes running through a brine tank. A zero cold results. The cold brine is then pumped through the pipe in the rink tank by the force of a 60-ton engine. The water is thus frozen into a solid mass of clear ice.

So simple, yet so complex at the same time. While many folks back in the day only know of the outdoor skating, the indoor facility provided a nice comfort from the weather that came with skating outdoors. The North Avenue Rink make sure to cover that bit of annoyance thusly.

Around the skating surface is a promenade floor about two feet higher and separated from the rink by a solid partition. Gas stoves warm this part of the building in order to keep comfortable the spectators, who are provided with seats.

There you go, the first skating rink around happened and it was in Baltimore of all places. The rink opening saw the Johns Hopkins University team take on the Baltimore Athletic Club team, playing to a 2-2 draw after their two-30 minute halves, which is another post for another time in the near future. After the game, the people in attendance were allowed out on the ice to test it out for themselves. The game brought out many interest onlookers from the Baltimore area, as well as some from as far north as New York.

It was a marvel for it's time, which is now in most every town around North America and overseas. Yet, it's odd how the times have changed where many are calling for more outdoor games, while back then-- many were calling for an indoor game every once and a while. And to think, the lore that the refrigeration unit was moved to the present-day First Mariner Arena.

I would like to thank Mr. Geoff Zonder, archivist of Yale University for pushing me in the right direction for getting this information, as well as the information in the upcoming post on the subject matter.

2010 Battle of the Cheesesteaks Review

For all the FOHS Live Blog excitement, check out the replay of it with all the fun and randomness below. There was plenty of drunkenness, Ellen Page drops, Chara-bombs, Julie Gaffney drops, and just a regular FOHS gig, but in type form. Plenty of cursing, so if you're sensitive-- yeah.



As far as the game itself, the first period was a tease. There was a great pace to the first 20 minutes and it looked like the ice was the best it had ever been in the Winter Classic priors, even with the fire extinguishers for the quick re-freeze. Yet, it was not to be.

The next 37 minutes was a really slow paced affair. There seemed to be very sloppy play, many turnovers and not much flow to the entire game. However, the last three minutes and then the overtime kind of made up for the whole fact the prior 57 minutes were somewhat "meh." The old guard of Mark Recchi scoring the first goal for the Bruins to tie it up was fitting and the Marco Sturm game-winner make the Joe Thornton trade somewhat tolerable....for four minutes.

The presentation was pretty alright. The unneeded Denis Leary/Lenny Clarke "Sweet Caroline" petered out quick and was a bit unnecessary. The Dropkick Murphys were alright, but I'm tired of "Shipping Up To Boston" being used all the damn time. Makes me puke a bit every time I hear it. CBC's coverage was great, with great angles, great sound, and great coverage on the sidelines throughout Fenway Park with Elliotte Friedman. As a whole, it was another great production by the NHL and showed this thing could work.

Now, onto the future......

First of all, I don't think that a second game is needed or wanted by the NHL. This is a special thing, two teams get the pass, one venue is focused on and the story continues. If you add a second game to it all, I don't think you'll have the same allure to the game that you do now. The hype would be a little killed off and you would want to cut it back to just one in the end. The NHL has to be careful when it comes to how to deal with this in the future.

Second, the teams need to be picked properly. While there are plenty of Capitals fans who though their team would be better suited and create more scoring-- is that always the best answer?? Who's to say they would be the run-and-gun team out in the elements?? I think the fact they would be not used to outdoors would be a hinderance to it all. If the Capitals are going to be in a Winter Classic, the odds are the game will be with a Western Conference team, like Minnesota or Colorado to get the fans to venture out there and give the Western teams (West of the Mississippi, that is) more exposure to this whole ordeal.

I would say the Winter Classic is a success again, but not in a landslide as it has been. There was something to this game that wasn't right after the first 20 minutes and maybe the conditions were in effect, but it seemed to slow down when the second period started. We'll have to see what the NHL does with this event next year and then talk about how the teams should be different and venue should have been somewhere else.

Ending an Outdoor Ty Tradition

While the snow is starting to fall in Boston, creating a nice allure at Fenway Park; there is a bit of emptiness. Sure, the NHL thinks this could help things-- setting the scene that they had created in their promos for this event, there's something missing. Something that we have come to expect with an outdoor game. With this piece not being there, I'm sure that things will never be the same because of it.

That's right, this year-- Ty Conklin will not be a starter for an outdoor game in the NHL. I'll give you all a minute to recover.

Unless something is pulled off in the next few hours, Conklin will still be part of the St. Louis Blues and will be missing out on his first outdoor game; a tradition that is rooted in his appearance at the 2003 Heritage Classic in Edmonton. Since then, Conklin was the starter for the Heritage Classic and the first two Winter Classics in Buffalo and Chicago, both times for the opposing team (Pittsburgh and Detroit respectively). It would have been perfect for the Flyers to pick up Conklin because he is going to be playing an away game (where he's 2-0-0 as opposed to 0-1-0 in home outdoor games) and because they needed a goalie.

It was in 2003 when Conklin was filling in for an injured Tommy Salo and braved the cold Edmonton weather to take on the Canadiens. While he did lose, he make his mark. You have to lose before you learn how to win. Move onto Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo when he put on the baby blues for the Pittsburgh Penguins and beat the Buffalo Sabres in a shootout, which was one more step for the great Conklin Classic. It moved onto Chicago's Wrigley Field where he went in as a late-fill-in for the Red Wings, as Chris Osgood tweaked his groin. Conklin got plenty of support and finally won in regulation as the Red Wings took down the Blackhawks.

Plus, Conklin has been know to create good mantra to be in the the Stanley Cup Final, as he was there the past two seasons with Pittsburgh and Detroit and was there for Edmonton, which created the amazingness of Knob Hockey for all of us. For a team like the Flyers, that kind of mojo, even with Ray Emery coming back soon, would be huge for a confident boost on that team.

Granted, all the stadiums prior (sans Edmonton) were home to teams who were so close to championships, but just came up short. The Red Sox have won recently, which may throw off his game because he's not used to seeing championship banners from this century.

But alas, it is not to be. Conklin (as far as we know) won't be at this year's Winter Classic and will break his streak of outdoor games. I still hope for a run-in with a steel chair or something like that. Doubt it'll happen, but maybe he can get there an just watch on the sidelines seething waiting for his chance and maybe putting a voodoo curse on the goalies so he could come in and be the guy who saves the game by being the goalie waiting in the wings.

The Winter Classic will miss Ty Conklin.

Winter Classic 2010: Battle of the.....

We're less than a month away from the Winter Classic and it's time to figure out what to call this battle. Throughout the years, we've had epic outdoor match-ups in the NHL.

It's started with the Heritage Classic with the Edmonton Oilers facing the Montreal Canadiens. That was the Battle of the Dynasties, with the Oilers' coming from the 80's and the Canadiens prior to that. It was an epic battle that came down to the last five minutes and Richard Zednik getting the winner in the end. It started a trend for games outdoors on New Year's Day of all times.

The Winter Classic in 2008 saw the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins. It could have been a Battle of Young Gun teams, what with both teams having a lot of ammo in their prospects, but thanks to the cultures in each city; it was the Battle of the Blue Collar, which worked because the Pens introduced their baby-blue jerseys in that epic game, which saw Sidney Crosby score on Ryan Miller in the shootout to set the tone for the NHL outdoor game.

In 2009, the Chicago Blackhawks hosted the Detroit Red Wings. The obvious approach would be the Old Guard vs. New Guard; but you have to go deeper for this. The Battle of the Sound-- the Detroit Motown scene against the Chicago blue's scene. Seemed that Motown was back in a big way with the Red Wings taking it to the young Hawks 6-4.

Yet, with the 2010 it's kind of hard to place how to deal with these two teams. You could the route of the Original Six vs. the Next Six-- you could go the Battle of the Overrated. However, we at Face Off Hockey Show have dubbed it....


....the Battle of the Cheesesteaks!!!

That's right, folks-- you all know about the legend of the Philly Cheesesteak and the battle in Philadelpha between Geno's and Pat's for cheesesteak supremecy, but little do people know of the Boston Cheesesteak. In fact, we didn't know about it until we went to Boston Pizza in Calgary and checked out the menu. Lo and behold-- there it was: The Boston Cheesesteak. Here's a description of the Boston Cheesesteak, which is kind of like a Philly cheesesteak; but Bostonized...I guess.

So, while it's a reach-- it's also a start. We never said we were geniuses, but we could come up with some clutch in the process. Stay tuned for more on what we have in store for the Battle of the Cheesesteaks. Plus, you can think of match-ups in the comments section for the 2011 Winter Classic.

Gimmicks Gone Wild

We all know about the 2010 Winter Classic all but certainly going to Boston's Fenway Park with the Bruins taking on either the Washington Capitals or Philadelphia Flyers. However, there seems to be not so much competition for the site, but a partner for the site as EJ Hradek first broke that the Calgary Flames could be playing a Winter Classic game at McMahon Stadium against another Canadian team.

First, I'll get my hopes up that this is true and that living in Calgary may pay off in this instance. If this does happen, you can bet I'll be trying to get some kind of entry into this, whether it be for press credentials or overpaying for a ticket, but somehow-- I'll try to get into this game.

Now, with that out of the way-- I have to say that this may be pushing the envelope of making this gimmick tolerable. The magic about the Winter Classic is that it's something that is/was exclusive to one game and two teams. If you try to throw a second game in there, doesn't it take away from the prestige of the whole thing?? You would think that if the NHL wanted to show off the game and make it special-- why can't you keep it at one game?? I know that this could be the ploy to not exclude the Canadians to this whole thing since there hasn't been an outdoor game in Canada since the Heritage Classic in 2003. Add this to the Montreal Canadiens saying they want an outdoor game-- this could be a disaster for the uniqueness of the game format.

Plus, while a game in Calgary could be nice-- the problem is that it could be anywhere from -40c/f or +14c/57f in these crazy weather times in Calgary-- it snows in June here for pete's sake. Of course, the former is more likely, which could turn into a bad thing for fans and players alike....because that's damn cold, I don't care how tough you are. I know a lot of players weren't too pleased when they had to play in Edmonton in those freezing temperatures. The case could be the same with this ordeal, if the weather is just right. Sure, it just adds to the tradition of the thing, but still-- there's a line you don't need to cross when it comes to player's health so they don't get some kind of hypothermia. Sure, that's an extreme, but should not be discounted.

If you try to overuse a gimmick, it will grow stale, it will get old, and it will not be as profitable anymore. Sure, everyone wants to see and play in an outdoor game, but if you overdo it, you'll get sick of it and want them to stop it. It's just nature of the beast and something that goes with anything in this world. The NHL needs to take heed and realize that maybe you can get too much of a good thing.

What Have We Learned: Winter Classic '09

Now that the 2009 Edition of the Winter Classic is over, it's time to steal a bit from "Opie and Anthony" and play What Have We Learned.

-The Ice Was Right: NHL ice czar Dan Craig and his crew deserve all the credit they get and more. The ice they made on Wrigley Field was perfect for game and allowed a great flow to the game and allowed the players to make crisp passes and solid dekes as opposed to the ice from a year ago.

-More Doesn't Mean Better: Luckily, I was able to get both the NBC and CBC feeds for the game. While NBC had more angles and more cameras, the CBC's angles and camerawork was much better with the less cameras they had. The shots were tighter and more precise than what NBC presented. Sure, CBC has been doing this for years, but you'd think NBC would hire guys who knew how to deal with hockey games....or not.

-Field of Dreams: For all the doubt that a baseball field would work, by all accounts the sightlines were very solid regardless of your seats. Of course, sitting higher was probably better in this case, but still-- it wasn't as awful as some people may have thought.

-Ty's the Guy: If I'm a team, I'm looking to get Ty Conklin through free agency or a trade because that almost guarantees an outdoor game. This is Conklin's third start in an outdoor game and has the experience to deal with the elements.

-Tale After 20 Minutes: The Blackhawks took it to the Wings in the first period, but after that it was all Detroit. You have to wonder if the buzz in the first helped the Hawks get out to the 3-1 lead, but why couldn't they have held that intensity for the other 40 minutes that remained and that counted??

-Depth Kills: The Red Wings had 10 players with a point, three with multi-point games, and five goal-scorers. Marian Hossa, Jiri Hudler, and Henrik Zetterberg all had three points, while the Wings also got goals from unlikely sources like Brian Rafalski and Brett Lebda.

-Home Ice Disadvantage: No home team has won an outdoor game, but this edition was the first to not to be a one-goal game. You have to wonder if teams would not lobby to take in the outdoor game in fear of a loss, but would love it because of the extra revenue.

-Cheli's Swan Song??: Chris Chelios only played 1:57 and you have to wonder if this was it for him in terms of playing. His injuries this season have hampered him and this could be the best way to go out, playing in the Winter Classic in his hometown in a victory for his squad. His heart may be there, but the body may not have enough in the tank.

-Huet's Mr. Hyde: There's times he looked amazing, but Cristobal Huet's Jekyll and Hyde routine continues as he let up some soft goals and was bobbling the puck many times in the 43+ minutes he played in. However, without much help in front of him, the blame shouldn't be put too much on his shoulders.

Now, we await to see where the next venue will be for the Winter Classic in 2010 and if the trend of home teams losing continues and if Ty Conklin will get another outdoor start.

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.