Winter Classic 2012: NHL's Pet Project Will Only Grow with Time

The fifth installment of the NHL's Winter Classic will be played on Monday, featuring the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers, two bitter rivals.

The Classic has grown since its inception, accompanied by HBO's 24/7 these days. The outdoor classic continues to garner buzz, and it's starting to spread outside of the United States as well.

Said NHL chief operating officer John Collins, via The Canadian Press:

"

Absolutely, there should be more Canadian teams in these games. Just like teams like Minnesota should be involved and St. Louis should be involved and Colorado should be involved — you can just keep going on and on.

"

The idea was brilliant from the start. After all, hockey was born in an outdoor environment on icy landscapes. The Classic provides an old school feel that hockey must never stray from.

There were complications last season. Sidney Crosby suffered a concussion, putting an end to his season and casting doubts on how long his career could last. On top of that, weather conditions at Heinz Field forced the game to be pushed into the evening, losing momentum along the way.

There will always be weather concerns in this type of game. Then again, hockey fans can live with this. When you have an event that spotlights the sport's great stars and rivalries in throwback fashion, you can't help but be excited each and every year.

There is still plenty awaiting the Classic. Good things. Spectacular things.

And what better way to push it forward than with a rivalry as historic as Rangers vs. Flyers?