NHL Winter Classic: 5 Matchups I'd Rather See Than Crosby v. Ovechkin

With the announcement that the Pittsburgh Penguins will host the Washington Capitals at Heinz Field for the 2011 Winter Classic, and that Washington will host its own in the next few years, it becomes painfully clear that Gary Bettmann only knows how to milk his two favorite publicity cows.

But while the hardcore fans continue to put up with the same sales pitch day in and day out, the new fans in small and medium markets are sick of hearing about the superstars they don't have instead of the ones they do.

Seeing the outrage over the choice for the 2011 Winter Classic, I decided to explore five other options for Winter Classics that would not only involve teams we haven't already seen in the outdoor event, but ones that would spread the sport of hockey to the smaller markets in America.

No. 5—Vancouver, BC, Canada (vs. San Jose)

This game would be a great matchup between two of the premier teams of the league, one in a hockey hotbed, and the other in a blossoming NHL market.

I suspect it would be a hard fought, 5 to 7 goal contest with explosive odd man rushes and spectacular goaltending. It would be a great way to not only take a Winter Classic out West, but also to get the budding fan base in Southern California much more interested in the sport of hockey.

The one current issue with this matchup is a venue to play it in, though it may be possible in the coming years due to B.C. Place receiving a new, retractable roof by 2011.

No. 4—New York, New York, USA (Rangers vs. Islanders/Devils)

New York already passed up the golden opportunity of a lifetime when they turned down having the Winter Classic in 'The House That Ruth Built."

However, they could capitalize on one of two huge expenditures and host the Winter Classic either at the new Yankee Stadium, or at the new Giant's Stadium.

New York fans could rejoice their $1.6 billion escape from the old Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or enjoy their slightly less expensive baseball stadium while having an opportunity to "do it better than Boston," and show their rivals how a Winter Classic is done.

The problem: This doesn't spread the sport to tertiary markets—but neither does the Crosby v. Ovechkin 2011 Winter Classic.

No. 3—Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (vs. Montreal Canadiens)

This is probably a choice better suited for the 5th annual Winter Classic, but would be a great game nonetheless. It takes the Winter Classic back to its roots and would be fun to watch the crazed Canadian fans watch their teams duke it out in sub-zero temperatures.

The two major problems:
1. Montreal is a much better team than Edmonton.
2. It doesn't involve a smaller hockey market in America, which is what Bettman wants.

Still, those problems aside, it would be a great game and an instant classic.

No. 2—St. Paul, Minnesota, United States (vs. Dallas Stars)

New Minnesota versus Old Minnesota—why you ask?

For one, it would be a great game between evenly matched teams, and a great storyline.

For two, it would be a fantastic way to get fans in Dallas interested again and fans in Minnesota interested in their own team and not just hockey in general.

And for three, both the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Twins both have brand new, outdoor stadiums that the NHL has to choose from. Personally, my pick is U of M's brand new, $288 million TCF Bank stadium, but either way this would be a Winter Classic worth having.

No. 1—Toronto, Ontario, Canada (vs. Tampa Bay Lighning)

This may seem like an odd matchup, but I think this kind of Winter Classic is exactly what the NHL needs.

Toronto is a classic team, and the first NHL team to be crowned Stanley Cup Champions. Tampa Bay unfortunately fell off the radar after the lockout and has struggled to find good leadership and star caliber players since.

Toronto has a loyal fan base, but continues to struggle to put any semblance of a winning team together. This kind of Winter Classic would be a game that die hard hockey fans would love, seasonal fans would enjoy, and would help the sport gain popularity in the Southeast while not alienating its roots in Canada.

Plus, it would be a great excuse to play hockey in one of the most unique buildings in the world, Rogers Centre. The roof opens to give an "outdoor" game (100% of the field is exposed), and not only could fans stay in the adjacent hotel, but they could watch the game from their room if they get lucky enough; and if that's not what hockey and the Winter Classic are all about, I don't know what is!