Blackhawks to Host Red Wings at Wrigley for 2009 Winter Classic: Pros and Cons

The NHL officially announced Jul. 16 that the 2009 NHL Winter Classic will be held Jan. 1 at Wrigley Field, featuring the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings.

There are already people arguing for and against the event, which comes as a sequel to last season’s match-up between the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Here is one fan’s take on what’s good and what’s bad about the game.

Pros

Original Six Rivalry

The Blackhawks and the Red Wings were about as good of a choice as the NHL could have made this year. The Red Wings are the defending Stanley Cup champions and residents of Hockeytown, USA. The Blackhawks are a young team coming into the season with expectations as high as they have been in years.

Together, the teams form one of the oldest rivalries in hockey. This match-up practically chose itself.

Great event for the fans

While I wasn’t lucky enough to attend the event last year, the buzz around the Buffalo area was unbelievable. Even though the Sabres lost, people in the Western New York area loved the whole event.

Those who got tickets brought home memories that those of us who couldn’t make it can’t begin to understand.

Lots of publicity for the NHL

Even the critics of the Winter Classic can’t deny the fact that the event is great for publicity. While it often feels like hockey is no more than a niche sport in the United States, last year’s Winter Classic garnered coverage from around the country.

Good for the 'Hawks

The game will give the Blackhawks a chance to showcase their young talent on a national stage. Players such as Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are among the most exciting young players in the league.

Gives the league a big event

It’s true that the Jan. 1 date forces the NHL to compete against NCAA bowl games, but is that really that bad? While it may be tough to draw fans to it on TV, it puts the league on the map with a major event.

Cons

Novelty will wear off quickly

This is probably the most obvious downside of holding another Winter Classic. For every one the NHL holds, the magic and mystique of the original will dissipate a little bit more.

Many fans think that the whole appeal of the event is that it is unique and maybe even something that is a once in a lifetime event for those attending. Do we really want to take that aspect away?

The players don’t all like it

At times last year, the Winter Classic was tough for the fans to watch, and probably even tougher for the players to play in. The ice was bad because of the weather, and it created an often-boring game full of dump-and-chase play and slow skating.

The conditions also made skating dangerous for the players. Former Sabre and current Blackhawk Brian Campbell will be playing in his second outdoor game in two years.

Any fan could easily find the video of him on YouTube singing at a Buffalo bar and venting his true feelings about the event many fans were looking forward to at the time.

The game isn’t great and it counts

May critics of last year’s Winter Classic thought that the game should have been an exhibition game, if anything. This idea has some merit, because sometimes two points can be the difference between a playoff spot and a long summer.

Should a game with unusual playing conditions count toward the standings?

Why not Soldier Field?

Last year’s Winter Classic was held at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. The game sold out in a matter of minutes, leaving many fans to watch the game on TV.

So why hold this year’s game in a venue that has over 30,000 fewer seats? Wrigley, however, does make sense because of its history and the fact that fans will be closer to the action.

Why not Canada?

While Canada only accounts for six of the current 30 NHL teams, there is no arguing the fact that Canada plays a huge part in the survival of the league. Hockey is more popular in Canada, and the Winter Classic would have tremendous potential in the Great White North.

If the Winter Classic is going to be an annual event, it would be fair to at least consider a Canadian city to host it every other year or so.

Edmonton hosted the “Heritage Classic” in 2003, in which the Oilers played the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL’s first ever regular season outdoor game. That would leave the Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Vancouver Canucks as potential participants this year.

I loved the Winter Classic last year. I thought it was a great event all-around, and it couldn’t have ended better for the league—Sidney Crosby scored the game-winning goal in a shootout.

However, I think that the Winter Classic should be something that stays special, as opposed to an annual event. At the very most, I’d like to see it held every other year. Regardless, it will certainly be an event that just about all of those in attendance will enjoy, and will probably a massive success for the league.