January 2012 NHL Daily Newswire

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 02: Anton Stralman #32 of the New York Rangers handles the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park on January 2, 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

The NHL Winter Classic was likely the best outdoor NHL game to date.
Rob Carr/Getty Images

As the clocks around the world ticked over to 12:00 a.m. on New Year's Eve, a brand new year approached us all. The NHL is in full swing and barreling toward the All-Star break, and a few clear favorites have emerged in both conferences.

This is an interesting season for the NHL, as it is the last with the current two-conference format.

All 30 teams are quickly approaching the halfway points of their seasons, and only a handful of teams are currently considered "out" of the playoff hunt. Another handful are heading down that road, but there is always time to make a run down the stretch and stun the hockey world.

With all of that in mind, keep your web browser glued here for a daily news feed of everything NHL, and never feel out of the loop on hockey news again.

12:10 AM ET

UPDATE: Carcillo Suspended Indefinitely

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Official word now is that Dan Carcillo is suspended indefinitely until his hearing takes place in regards to his hit on Tom Gilbert.

Carcillo was also injured as a result of that hit, so it is unknown if he would even be in the lineup were he not suspended.

This will effectively be Carcillo's third suspension served this year, his first season with the Hawks.

Still no word on Gilbert; his status is Day-to-Day.

2:26 PM ET

NHL News and Notes: Daniel Carcillo's Hit on Tom Gilbert and Other News from January 3rd

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

One penalty rarely affects the outcome of a game as profoundly as Daniel Carcillo's five minute major penalty for boarding Monday night. That five minute powerplay gave the Edmonton Oilers two goals, and while neither were the game winner, it was certainly the turning point of the game. More on that later.

The high moment of yesterday in the NHL was of course the 2012 Bridgestone Winter Classic at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia. Right from the get-go, the NHL handled this big event perfectly. Sure, they postponed the start of the game by two hours, but that was a brilliant move. It showed that the NHL are committed to providing the best entertainment product possible to its fans.

The game itself was frankly the most entertaining of all the Winter Classics thus far. It was high scoring, physical, and the history—including the Jaromir Jagr saga—made for a great spectacle that showed off two of the marquee franchises in this once again great league.

Nothing on the trade wire to report, though rumors are swirling around Teemu Selanne and some depth players for the Buffalo Sabres, so stay tuned for that.

In other news, the Detroit Red Wings lead the pack to host the 2013 Winter Classic. Leave your comments on another repeat Winter Classic team getting a bid ahead of the many teams who have not yet gotten a chance to experience the magic.

See the link for more coverage on the Carcillo-Gilbert hit and watch this blog or my Twitter @robsquaredone for more updates as news breaks around the NHL