2012 NHL Winter Classic: Why the Game Has Been Great for the NHL

The NHL Winter Classic is an exciting event that has become a New Year's Day tradition. However, the NHL wisely decided to move the Classic to Jan. 2 this season in order to avoid a conflict with the final week of the NFL regular season.

When the date change was announced, many fans felt the game would lose some luster, appeal and that there would be a dip in ratings.

But the new change should not have even a moderate effect on the Winter Classic. Due to the fact that New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, most businesses will celebrate the holiday on the 2nd anyway. There are obviously some exceptions, but for the vast majority of Americans, fans should still be able to attend the game live or watch it from the comfort of their own home.

The fact that the game is on in the early afternoon allows fans to make the classic an all day event. With a 1 p.m. start time fans can watch the game, head out to the pond or rink afterward and make it a true day for hockey. Families can bond together over a great sport. The Winter Classic has invigorated life into a sport that has slowly but gradually grown in popularity across the world.

With the brand-new NBC Sports network hitting the airwaves on Monday, hockey is going to be given more consideration and upfront access. The lockout was a dark time for the NHL but over the past few seasons there is some excitement around the league. The Winter Classic is one of these great events that were born after the lockout.

The Winter Classic is one of the few times that the NHL truly takes center stage for millions of fans around the world. At 1 p.m. on Monday, there will be no football, there will be no basketball...but there will be hockey.

Today's Alumni Game is also a great event for both older and younger fans. Older fans get to see their heroes of old take the ice once again like Bernie Parent, Bobby Clarke, Mark Messier and Mike Gartner. Younger fans also get to finally see these heroes of old take the ice and they can understand why they are so revered.

The Winter Classic has been a great event in years past, and this year will be no different. There is going to be a great rivalry on center stage. The New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers have a well-documented rivalry, and the excitement of the HBO series 24/7 should truly make the game memorable.

Television Information

Date: Jan. 2, 2012

Time: 1:00 PM

Network: NBC 

Additional Coverage: NHL Network, NBC Sports, MSG Networks, CSN

Tom Urtz, Jr. is an NHL featured columnist. For NHL news, updates and alerts about players: