Pittsburgh Penguins to Host 2011 Winter Classic: The Pros and Cons

According to TSN , the NHL has chosen the Pittsburgh Penguins to host the annual Winter Classic on January 1, 2011, at Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Penguins will face the Washington Capitals, who will be participating in their first Winter Classic.

Many NHL fans are on the fence about this announcement.

Some are excited, and cannot wait to see yet another Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin matchup for NBC and the league to milk the living hell out of.

Others feel it is not fair for the Penguins to receive another Classic after participating in the inaugural outdoor game with the Buffalo Sabres on New Year’s Day in 2008.

This is a win-lose situation for the league. Obviously, there are some upsides to including the Penguins in their second Winter Classic. There are also downsides.

I’ll explore both sides of the argument and explain why it is a good and bad thing for the NHL.

The Penguins are one of the most heavily marketed teams in the NHL.

Once a laughingstock of the NHL and looking like they were headed out of the Steel City, the Pens have revitalized their franchise with the drafting of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, a new arena set to open this summer, and two consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearances; including a victory in 2009.

Furthermore, they recently set a record for ratings on FSN Pittsburgh with an 8.17. The ratings were enough to pass their previous record a 6.98; which they had set in the 2008-2009 season.

An NBC Game of the Week which featured the Capitals and Penguins also tied a season high for the NHL on NBC ratings.

This just goes to show that both teams are capable of bringing the ratings, which means more money and bragging rights for NBC. And when it comes to running a business, profit is the only thing that matters.

Sidney Crosby is well known in the sports world. If people are fans of his, or even mildly interested in him, they will tune in to see him play in one of the league’s marquee events. If he plays hero like he did in the 2008 game when he scored the winning shootout goal against Ryan Miller, it can only further solidify his place as a true NHL superstar.

Alexander Ovechkin is probably the second biggest star in the league. He helped Washington revitalize their franchise and was named captain after Chris Clark got traded this season.

The battle of whether Crosby or Ovechkin is better is one of the biggest debates among hockey fans.

Having both in the Classic will certainly add fuel to the fire, and depending on which way the game goes, fans of both players will have one more thing to add to their opinions for years to come.

Of course, the “Is Crosby better than Ovechkin?” debate is not enough excitement for some who feel the Penguins should not get another game.

Obviously, many consider it unfair that the Penguins will be in another Winter Classic three years after participating in one. 

Some fans downright despise Sidney Crosby and the Penguins and have no interest in watching them get even more national attention. 

Putting the Penguins back in the game could mean lower ratings for NBC.

Besides the potential for lower ratings, the Winter Classic could lose its luster if the NHL keeps putting the same teams in it every few years.

When the idea came about, it was all about celebrating hockey's roots. It was also about the fascination of seeing at least 40,000 people at a hockey game. 

There was even a light snow falling during the inaugural game in Buffalo, and it was almost like something out of a movie.

What hockey fan couldn’t get into that?

If the same teams keep getting this opportunity, the viewing audience will lose interest. The Winter Classic will not feel special anymore. It will be like an ordinary hockey game. The only difference will be that it is outdoors.  

I think of it as the first time I went to a hockey game back in 2001.

After two games, I was hooked. I wanted to go to as many games as possible.

I wanted to buy a team jersey and fit in with all the other fans. I wanted to meet the players when they did meet and greets in the community.

Eight years later, I still love the game action, but don’t get as excited as I did when I was first learning the game. I still like meeting my favorite players at season ticket holder events, but I know now they are just regular guys and not as big of celebrities as I originally made them out to be.

An invitation to a hockey game is hard to refuse, yet I don’t feel the rush of excitement for each and every game.

I feel similar things could happen to the Winter Classic, and giving the Penguins a repeat game shows that could come sooner rather than later. Some people will be happy, but for the most part, it just won’t feel as unique as it did the first time.

While I will likely be tuning in to see my Penguins play at Heniz Field on New Year’s Day, I also do not want this event to become less special for the NHL.

The league shouldn’t be afraid to put other teams in this. If the event is that important to them, they will find more unique ways to market the game instead of playing it safe.

But I’m sure Gary Bettman would never ruin anything that is supposed to be a big deal for the league's fans and profits...

Oh wait. 

He would.