With the 2019 NHL Winter Classic in the books, it’s apparent the NHL has a severe problem for the future of their big event. The Winter Classic started back in 2008 when the Pittsburgh Penguins took on the Buffalo Sabres in Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills. The game was a great success with about 3.75 million people tuning into the event and a sell-out crowd of 71,217 fans which is more than three times the largest NHL hockey arena. However, over the years things have quickly changed, and it seems like the Winter Classic is becoming a lot less entertaining. In fact, some might even go so far as to say that if the NHL doesn’t fix this, their big event just might become irrelevant.
The first Winter Classic was a success, and the second was no exception. In 2009 the game took place at the one and only Wrigley Feild as the Chicago Blackhawks took on the Detroit Red Wings. About 4.40 million people tuned in to watch this great game, 650,000 more than last year. 2010 became the first dip in viewership the NHL would see as the Boston Bruins took on the Philadelphia Flyers in the great Fenway Park. 3.68 million people tuned in for this one which was 720,000 less than 2009. But, dips are to be expected in big events like this, especially with it still being relatively new. 2011 brought the outdoor game right back up on top as the Pittsburgh Penguins took on the Washington Capitals in Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers. This marked the first time a team (the Pittsburgh Penguins) had played in its second Winter Classic game, but the great rivalry brought the viewership back up to 4.50 million people. In 2012 the great game experienced a repeat of what happened in 2009 and 2010. 3.73 million people (770,000 fewer people) would tune into the New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers matchup held in Citizens Bank Park. The 2013 Winter Classic would get canceled due to the lockout so the Toronto Maple Leafs would face the Detroit Red Wings in 2014. The two teams battled it out in Michigan Stadium, home of the University of Michigan’s football team.
The viewership increased by 670,000 people and broke the record for highest attendance at an NHL hockey game (105,491). However, the NHL would not see another increase in viewership over the next few years as the game would never be the same. In 2015 the Chicago Blackhawks would take on the Washington Capitals in Nationals’ Park, home of the Washington Nationals, marking the first time both teams had already played in a winter classic. 3.47 million people would tune in to watch the two teams go at it, 930,000 fewer people than 2014. This is the most significant drop in viewership the Winter Classic has ever had, and things would not get any better from here on out. In 2016 when the Montreal Canadiens took on the Boston Bruins in Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, viewership dropped to 2.78 million people (690,000 fewer people). In 2017 the ratings would drop again as the Blackhawks took on the St. Louis Blues in Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals. This time only 2.56 million people tuned in (220,000 fewer people) to the game. 2018 would continue the pattern as the New York Rangers took on the Buffalo Sabers in Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, with now only 2.48 million people tuning in (80,000 fewer people). This also marked the second year both teams had already played in a Winter Classic. In 2019 this past year, the Boston Bruins would take on the Chicago Blackhawks at Notre Dame Stadium marking the third time both teams had previously played in a Winter Classic (No TV ratings have been released yet). With the TV Ratings continuing to drop there is obviously a significant problem with this classic game.
One of the biggest complaints about the Winter Classic has been that the same teams are always the ones playing in it, with most of them being original six teams. Since the start of the tradition in 2008, the Chicago Blackhawks have played four times, the Boston Bruins have played three times, the Rangers, Penguins, Capitals, Red Wings, Sabres, and Flyers have all played two times, and the Blues, Canadians, and Maple Leafs have played once. This is probably because these teams are known to be large market teams since they have so much history, but fans are clearly not interested in seeing the Blackhawks or Bruins once again take the main stage. Not to mention, the Blackhawks are one of the worst teams in the NHL this year making it an even more uneventful game.
Luckily for the NHL, there is an easy way to fix this problem. Introduce new teams into this unique experience! There are currently 31 teams in the NHL and 20 of them have yet to play outdoors (not including the additional outdoor games the NHL recently added). One team that has been mentioned as a good fit is the Tampa Bay Lighting. The Bolts have grown Tampa into a viable NHL city. With their recent success and fast pace play, they have become one of the most exciting teams to watch on a daily basis. One of the concerns with using a team like the Bolts is that they would not be able to host such a game as Florida is not known for its cold weather. But, with the technology we have today, it is not unreasonable to think one could be held in Tampa. Tampa also has many big-time rivals that are in places which could easily host an outdoor game. Some of those teams include the Canadiens, the Maple Leafs, and the Red Wings. However, Tampa Bay is not the only team that has grown and would be an excellent fit for the Winter Classic. The Winnipeg Jets are a huge market team that has been at the top of the league for the past few years. Just like the Lightning, the Jets are an entertaining team to watch with their fast-paced play. While the Jets and Lightning are not division rivals, most fans wouldn’t mind seeing these two heavyweights go at it in the great outdoors. These are just two of the teams that could be a big success in the Winter Classic, and there are plenty more that could play in the outdoor game.
The NHL recently announced that the Dallas Stars would be hosting the 2020 Winter Classic, and while this is nice to see, it’s not the greatest move. Dallas is currently having major issues with the players and the front office, and not to mention they aren’t exactly the best team around right now. The NHL has not announced who the Stars opponent will be, but if the NHL wants to get their ratings back up, they should look into picking a team like the Winnipeg Jets.
The Winter Classic is well, a Classic game, and fans would hate to see it go. However, the NHL must stop putting the same teams on display or this great tradition will become irrelevant.
Be sure to let us know if you agree and who you think should play in the upcoming Winter Classics in the comments below!
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