Winter Classic 2012: NHL Should Give Gimmick a Rest After Rangers vs. Flyers

The New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers are set to play in the fifth annual NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 2. After striking gold with the first few installments, there has been some burnout as the uniqueness of the event has worn off.

Due to that lessening amount of intrigue, the league should consider taking a break from outdoor games for a couple seasons to help rejuvenate interest in the future. If they just keep cranking them out every season, it will eventually become much less of a spectacle than it is right now.

There are several reasons the first game, which pitted the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins against each other in the middle of a Western New York snowstorm, is still widely regarded as the best of the bunch. Most notably, it being the first of its kind since the Heritage Classic in 2003.

That five-year gap between outdoor games helped generate interest. It's the same reason major events like the Olympics and World Cup only happen once every four years.

The Winter Classic is no different. If it only happened every handful of years, there would be a lot more interest from the casual fan. After all, the game is usually up against some marquee college football games.

With each passing year, the outdoor games will continue to lose momentum until there are none remaining. Just like most kids become bored with all of their new toys by New Year's Day, sports fans tend to become bored with gimmicks over time.

If it only happened every few years, that wouldn't be nearly as big of a problem.

Another issue has been the lack of variety among the participating teams. The Penguins have already been featured twice and next week will be Philadelphia's second appearance. While it's understandable that the NHL wants to feature its best players, there should be a lot more sharing of the wealth.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Minnesota Wild are two franchises that come to mind as perfect hosts for the game. Both would also open up several possibilities for getting new opponents involved instead of giving recycled teams a second chance.

All told, it's a cool event that definitely has a place in the NHL. It just shouldn't happen on an annual basis. To ensure it continues to have a major-event feel, every three or four years would be better.

Unfortunately, as long as it keeps producing revenue, that's not likely to happen.