In 2015 Dear Sports Fan will be previewing the biggest sporting event of the year in each of the 50 states in the United States plus the district of Columbia. Follow along with us on our interactive 2015 map.
Washington D.C. — The Winter Classic
NHL Hockey — January 1, 2015 — Chicago Blackhawks at Washington Capitals, 1 p.m. ET on NBC.
The first thing to know about the National Hockey League’s Winter Classic is that it is aspirational in every aspect. The game is not a classic, it’s simply a regular season NHL game that is played outdoors on New Year’s Day. This tradition began in 2008 with a game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabers in Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo’s NFL arena. An NHL spokesperson would probably argue that the word “classic” refers to the traditional aspect of playing hockey outdoors. I think it’s more about the NHL trying to make this a classic element of New Year’s Day for the sports-aware public. For the most part, I think it’s been a success. I’m looking forward to it! Here’s a few things I know about the plot and characters.
What’s the plot?
The plot of the Winter Classic has very little to do with the teams playing or the possible result of the game. Frankly, no one cares too much about the outcome of a one of 82 regular season games for two teams likely to make the playoffs. What the Winter Classic is about is pageantry and spectacle. I think I’ve watched some part of all seven Winter Classics and they’ve all provided stunning images in different ways. The games in football stadiums are amazing because of how many people decide to spend their New Year’s Day watching hockey in the freezing cold. The capacity of a football stadium is four to five times more than that of a hockey stadium. The football stadium games also feel more outdoors because the rink is placed right in the middle of a big rectangular field with lots of grass on all sides between the rink and the audience. The baseball stadium games have been cool because of their unique shape and history. Games have been played in the two oldest and most famous baseball parks, Wrigley Field in Chicago and Fenway Park in Boston. Both stadiums are so recognizable that they bring their own sense of cool to the games hosted there.
Aside from just putting a game outside, the NHL does other smart things to promote the game. From 2011 to 2013, the NHL arranged a partnership with HBO who filmed a near real-time documentary about the two teams playing in the Winter Classic and aired it weekly leading up to New Year’s Day. This was a great way for fans to learn their favorite teams (or rivals) and a pretty good way to introduce hockey to non-fans as well. HBO decided not to film another series this year and, although Epix took up the mantle, the results have not been as good. The teams always wear special issue throwback jerseys during the game which adds to the novelty, the classic feel (they’re usually homages to a previous era of uniform), and to the visual spectacle (they chose brighter colors).
This year’s game has a distinct (and to my taste, slightly unnecessary and tacky) flavor of Americana. It’s in Washington D.C.’s baseball stadium, where the Washington Nationals play, and not only have the hosts constructed a model of the U.S. Capital Building which the players will enter through, but they’ve also hired Lee Greenwood (much to some fans dismay) to sing his song, “God Bless the USA” between periods. The Winter Classic is a great showcase to market hockey to non-hockey fans but this year’s pseudo-patriotic pitch seems a little pandering to me. Nonetheless, Mike Emerick, who will be commentating this year’s game, is the absolute best in the business and I’m sure he’ll do a great job selling it.
Who are the characters?
Alexander Ovechkin — Known as “The Great Eight”, Alexander Ovechkin is one of the best goalscorers in hockey. When he’s on, his speed and power is only matched by his enthusiasm for playing hockey. Within a sport that values stoicism, Ovechkin shows more passion that most players, even the great ones. It’s hard to imagine a player more suited for responding to the rare thrill of playing outdoors with an explosive, joyous performance than Ovechkin. I expect him to score a couple goals, get penalized for a reckless hit, and be shown on TV, flashing his trademark toothless grin, at least fifty times.
Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane — The Blackhawks have won the Stanley Cup twice in the last five years, and the two players who have meant the most to the team in that time have been Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. They are a great study in contrasts. Toews is a center, Kane is a winger. Toews is Canadian, Kane is American. Toews is a responsible, defensive player, Kane is a free-lancing offensive specialist. Toews is a soft-spoken captain who leads his team by example, Kane is a party-boy extraordinaire who has sported a playoff mullet and been arrested for drunkenly assaulting a cab-driver. Together, this odd couple has made the Blackhawks perennially a championship contender and there’s no sign of them stopping.
Who’s going to win?
Who cares? I mean, I guess I’d go with the Blackhawks if I had to choose, but the bigger question is how well will this game serve the NHL? The Winter Classic is an important marketing vehicle for the league and they cleverly scheduled it before the two big college football playoff games (the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl). The only problem is, there are already reports that the game might be postponed an hour or more because of glare on the ice. If that happens, it will be hard to get the game in before all the general sports fans in the country switch the channel.