The Washington Capitals bench celebrates against Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2011 NHL's Winter ClassicDAVID DENOMA/Reuters
The Washington Capitals will host the NHL's Winter Classic in 2015.
The team made the news official with an announcement Saturday. The game will take place Jan. 1, and the venue and opponent will be named at a later date. Nationals Park, RFK Stadium and FedEx Field are the candidates to host the game.
"We are extremely excited to host the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic and bring this great event to the D.C. area," Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said in a statement. "Our great fan base deserves to experience the magnificence of an outdoor game. We are thrilled to once again be part of this great event."
The Capitals will host the game four years after they visited the Penguins at a Winter Classic at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
"The excitement of the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic continues to grow, and bringing the 2015 event to the D.C. area will write another chapter in the game's great history of entertainment," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "We are looking forward to being in Washington with the Capitals' great fans."
Weather could be an issue for first Winter Classic held south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The average high temperature on Jan. 1 in Washington is 7 degrees C, and the record was 20 in 2005.