As someone who covered the first-ever outdoor game in NHL history – the Heritage Classic, played between the Oilers and Montreal Canadiens at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium back in November of 2003 – you have to give the league kudos for trying it again. On one of the coldest days of the year, the Oilers packed the place – for an afternoon game involving legendary players from both teams’ history to the evening game, on Hockey Night In Canada (where Don Cherry’s appearance, exiting a trailer at the end of the stadium, drew a standing ovation). It was a marketing gem, it drew attention to the league from some odd quarters (even the Washington Post sent a crack feature writer, Rachel Nichols, to cover the event) and it made a pile of money for the Oilers at a time when they were struggling with the effects of the 65-cent dollar. In short, it was a boffo, well-conceived event, one of the highlights of the last year before the lockout shut down the league.
This time around, the Pittsburgh Penguins visit the Buffalo Sabres and that too represents an intriguing match-up - although with a 1 p.m. Eastern starting time, it is hard to imagine them fitting in what could be a great legends game beforehand, what with Mario Lemieux and Paul Coffey available on the Penguins’ side and a reunited French Connection leading the way for Buffalo. Nor can anyone underestimate the value of getting Sidney Crosby involved in the project, along with the rest of his exciting, emerging Penguins’ team. Even if the event doesn't strike a chord, the presence of Sid The Kid will - and in the same way that many football fans flock to Buffalo from southern Ontario to watch the NFL Bills play, you'd have to think that the stadium will be filled with Canadians from the Golden Horseshoe, to see history of a sorts in the making.
No, the only real question revolves around the curious choice of a date for the event – Jan. 1, a day normally associated with college football bowl games. Now granted, they no longer decide the national champion on New Year’s Day anymore, but south of the border, it is hard to imagine that the focus won’t squarely be on the gridiron. An outdoor game poses enormous logistical challenges, beginning with weather. Organizers must be crossing their fingers (and consulting the Farmer’s Almanac) that one of those monstrous Buffalo snowstorms doesn’t blow in just before game time. But even if the game goes off without a hitch, you wonder if it’ll attract enough attention away from college football to make it worth their marketing while.
