Though the Winter Classic will be played in Ann Arbor, Comerica Park in Detroit will host a two-week festival and celebration of hockey that will draw thousands of fans and players. (Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE)

By Stu Hackel

With today’s announcement that the next Winter Classic will be in Ann Arbor, Michigan, accompanied by a large number of other events in downtown Detroit, the NHL and the Red Wings are poised to take this event to a new level. This won’t be just a very special hockey game that has been designed to broaden the sport’s appeal through TV exposure on New Year’s Day. This is going to be an unprecedented celebration of hockey in a place that is not only one of America’s foremost centers of the sport, but also one of America’s most troubled cities, one that is fighting quite hard to rebound against economic hardship and an awful reputation.

The most telling remarks made at today’s news conference were those of Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, a former NBA star, who acknowledged that he doesn’t always have a reason to smile in his current job. But he was smiling when he spoke at the Comerica Park event this morning because through the Red Wings and the NHL, this event can help address his city’s ongoing fiscal issues and its image.

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By Stu Hackel

Perhaps we spoke too soon when we wrote our post celebrating the love-in that was the Winter Classic. Philadelphia police say that after the game on Monday, Flyers fans attacked Rangers fans at the famous Geno’s Steaks, a Philly Cheesesteak landmark, about two miles north of Citizens Bank Park. The police are seeking help identifying the attackers.

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Rangers coach John Tortorella went over the line by impugning the NHL’s integrity. (Tom Mihalek/AP)

By Stu Hackel

John Tortorella’s paranoid rant at NHL officiating and NBC after the Winter Classic put a sour exclamation point on an otherwise triumphant afternoon for his team and hockey in general. Tortorella, who has done a terrific job guiding the Rangers to their first place standing in the league, alleged the NHL had conspired with NBC to try to get the game to overtime.

UPDATE 9:30 pm: The NHL announced Wednesday evening it had fined Tortorella $30,000 for his comments. “There is no acceptable explanation or excuse for commentary challenging the integrity of the League, its officials or its broadcast partners,” said NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell. “People can disagree with calls by officials on the ice, but even in instances of the utmost frustration there is no justification for speaking as inappropriately and irresponsibly as Mr. Tortorella did.”

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It’s cold, the sightlines are awful and it costs a fortune, but there’s nowhere a true fan would rather be. (Will Schneekloth/ZUMAPRESS.com)

By Stu Hackel

Why is the Winter Classic such a huge success for the National Hockey League and why is it likely to continue being so? Let me count the ways:

First, this event becomes an oversized demonstration of devotion to the home team during the holiday season of celebration — and everybody likes a celebration. If you are a fan of the Flyers, you wanted to be in the Phillies’ ballpark for this game.

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As expected, the play was physical with sudden momentum swings. (Bob Fina/ZUMAPRESS.com)

By Stu Hackel

6:06 — Rangers 3, Flyers 2. Final score. Fireworks are shot off, but the majority of the Flyers faithful is leaving disappointed. Ranger fans crowd around the third base dugout and cheer their team as it comes off the ice …The Flyers now file off and they’re getting a smattering of boos in the fine Philadelphia tradition….Mike Rupp is named First Star of the Game for two goals, but Henrik Lundqvist, who goes down the steps to the third base dugout to hearty cheers from the Rangers faithful, gets my star…So that’s the game. We’ll have more on the whole Winter Classic experience tomorrow in the blog…Thanks for joining us.

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The Flyers and Rangers have been at each other’s throats since the days of Dave Schultz and Philly’s infamous Broad Street Bullies. (Rusty Kennedy/AP)

By Stu Hackel

After months of buildup and promotion, the Winter Classic is finally upon us. It is, of course, nothing more than Game 569 of the regular season schedule, worth the same two points in the standings as any other game — or (sigh) two for the winner and one for the loser if it ends in a regulation tie.

But the exposure and popularity this unique game has brought to hockey during the past four years can’t — and shouldn’t — be denied. For that we must credit the NHL’s partnership with NBC. Their deal may be far less lucrative for the league’s teams than the ones enjoyed by other major pro sports, but it’s the best the league has ever had, especially because
NBC and its offshoots respect the product and help create new ways to expose it.

The same can be said for the NHL’s deal with HBO which, through its”24/7″ series, provides an unprecedented look at the run-up to the game. Nothing has ever come close to bringing viewers inside the NHL as it really is, looks and sounds.

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Too tough for his own good: Maple Leafs winger Colby Armstrong did not tell team doctors about the concussion symptoms he felt after a playing the Canucks last Saturday. (Gary Angus/ZUMAPRESS.com)

By Stu Hackel

Should the NHL adopt the NFL’s newest concussion protocol that’s designed to help teams spot injuries and sit players who want to play through head trauma? The only intelligent response has to be, “Why not?”

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The Bruins’ traditional post-Thanksgiving Day game, this year against the Red Wings, will launch NBC’s national coverage of the NHL five weeks earlier than usual. (Damian Strohmeyer/Sports Illustrated)

By Stu Hackel

On Nov. 29, 1991, the Bruins hosted the Canadiens in an afternoon game. It was the day after Thanksgiving and Boston defeated its fierce Montreal rivals 5-4 in overtime. Whether it was superstition, a strong fan response or smart marketing, the B’s repeated the post-Turkey Day match the following season, this time against the Hartford Whalers (again an OT victory for the home side) and this Friday afternoon game has been a fixture on Boston’s calendar ever since.

Now, 20 years later, the NHL and NBC are turning this tradition into a special event, one that is emblematic of an innovative new era for a league historically considered second-rate in the areas of marketing and promotion.
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The weather may be harsh and Mother Nature may not be too nice with the ice, but it’s hard to beat the atmosphere of an outdoor NHL game, no matter how often they’re played. (Dave Sandford/Getty Images)

By Stu Hackel

If there was ever a compelling case for the NHL outdoor format to be expanded, it was made by yesterday’s Heritage Classic game in Calgary. Once again, as in Edmonton for the league’s inaugural non-roofed game eight years ago and in soggy Pittsburgh last month, fans braved harsh weather to celebrate the game they love. If you think that sort of response wouldn’t be repeated in many other NHL markets, you don’t know hockey fans.
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The NHL is promoting its Heritage Classic outdoor game in Calgary with a cross-Canada truck tour that pales in comparison to the drumbeat that led up to the Winter Classic. (Dave Sandford/Getty Images)

By Stu Hackel

When it comes to comparing the NHL’s two outdoor games, the Winter Classic and the Heritage Classic, the upcoming game in Calgary between the Canadiens and Flames is a second-class citizen to the New Year’s Day event.
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