8 Interesting Future NHL Winter Classic Locations

The NHL Winter Classic enters its fifth year and has been a hit so far for the NHL. The cities to host the Winter Classic have been Buffalo, Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh and now Philadelphia.

Let's throw out all the variables. The weather, the ticket sales, money, a team being from where the game is hosted—all gone. You have to assume most of these locations would be fictional but you can't help but wonder how holding an NHL outdoor hockey game at any of these locations would work out.

Where would be eight interesting places to hold the Winter Classic?

Miami, Florida

For the second year in a row, the winter classic moved back later in the day due to the weather being too warm. Both years the temperature was about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. So how can a winter classic possibly be done in Miami or really anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line? It can't, really. I think it would just be pretty cool having a hockey game with the scenery of fans in shorts with palm trees blowing in the background.

New Orleans, Louisiana

If you have ever watched a New Orleans Saints game on a Sunday or Monday night, you already know how loud this place gets. The capacity of the Superdome is 72,000. Would I think the Winter Classic would sell out the place? No. Do I think a game at the Superdome can set an attendance record and have a playoff type atmosphere with the noise level? Yes. It would also be the first winter classic at a domed stadium rather than arena.

Williamsport, Pennsylvania

It seems like the opening video every year for the Winter Classic is about a bunch of kids getting together and playing a pick-up game of pond hockey in the middle of an icy winter. Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the home of the Little League World Series could not be more appropriate for that occasion. The location where kids from different nations get together and have a baseball tournament for the love of the game would be a great place to host the Winter Classic.

Quebec, Canada + Kansas City, Missouri

Quebec, Canada or Kansas City, Missouri would be another solid choice to host a Winter Classic. If for nothing else it would be a great way to test the hockey atmosphere at both of these places as these have been popular locations for the future locations for teams like the Phoenix Coyotes and New York Islanders.

Mystery, Alaska

Hey, it has happened before. So what, if it was a movie. Mystery, Alaska is about a small town in Alaska that was crazy about hockey. Every Saturday the townspeople that wanted to play hockey would get together, randomly split of the teams and play a game of pond hockey. In other words, it is the perfect setting to the Winter Classic.

But back to the story, somehow this town ends up hosting an outdoor game against the New York Rangers in probably what the NHL imagines the Winter Classic looking like. Mystery, Alaska would be a great place to host a Winter Classic or at least host an outdoor game against the NHL All-stars since they have already shown they can handle the New York Rangers.

New York, New York

I'm not talking about Madison Square Garden. I'm not talking about Yankee Stadium, and I'm not talking about Citi Field. I'm talking about Practice. Oh wait, wrong conversation.

I'm talking about shutting down Times Square for a day and building an outdoor hockey rink in the center of New York City. Imagine a hockey rink with skyscrapers in lights in the backdrop. It would certainly be something different. This one is logical too, shutting down New York City for a day during the holidays—what could possibly go wrong with that?

Minnesota

When I say Minnesota, we are probably thinking of two separate ideas. I'll spare you the time of talking about your idea and only talking about mine. As I previously stated, the NHL continues to force-feed an image of kids getting together and playing a pick up game of pond hockey on a snowy day in the middle of a snowy town. Why not make the game just that exactly. Have the game actually be on a pond in the middle of snowy Minnesota since that is what the Winter Classic is all about.