As Washington D.C. comes over the horizon during the flight into our nation’s capital, I feel the excitement looming ahead. About 70,000 hockey fans celebrating the way the game is supposed to be played how it was originated: outdoors. The NHL Winter Classic has been around since 2008 and has been drawing crowds of more than 100,000 in it’s inclusion as part of each season. People from all over the world travel to whichever destination is appointed by the NHL for the chance to see their favorite hockey team, or any team, face off outdoors. With colder temperatures and higher ticket prices, what makes these games so special to attend?
One way the NHL drives fans to outdoor contests is the exclusivity of the games. Once a year between two teams, and if one happens to be your favorite team, you won’t miss it for the world. Every team that is selected for a Winter Classic designs a new jersey to be worn for the game that the team will only wear once. Some teams may elect to don them a second time if they choose to give the fans who couldn’t make it to the outdoor game a chance to see them in their regular arena. On Jan. 1, 2008, the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins played the first ever NHL outdoor game at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home to the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, in New York. Pittsburgh won the game 2 to 1 in a shootout. After the record breaking turn out of more than 70,000 people, the NHL decided to make this a staple in seasons to come.
The 2013 season had a lasting effect on outdoor hockey. After the league experienced a lockout season, which saw the Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs pushed back to the next year, the NHL set out on a mission to make it up to fans. Four more outdoor games were added for 2014 and were dubbed the “Stadium Series.” Two games in New York were held at Yankee Stadium hosted by the New Jersey Devils and the New York Islanders, both against the New York Rangers. One game was held at Soldier Field, home to the Chicago Bears, between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The final game was held at Dodger Stadium between the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks. Adding four more outdoor games made their exclusivity far less than they were previously, having five outdoor games a year rather than one. But every game sold out, nonetheless.
When it comes down to it, there’s one main reason fans flock to these games. The experience of 70,000 to 100,000 people outdoors watching hockey in some of the most massive stadiums in the country. The fanfare is out-of-this-world. In Washington D.C. for the 2015 Winter Classic, we walked in between two huge blown up renditions of the team’s jerseys and were treated to a giant spread of activities and food just outside Nationals Park. Every hockey brand was there showing off their new equipment and letting fans test it out. Bauer had a goalie mannequin dressed in Blackhawks gear for the Capitals’ fans to shoot pucks at. CCM had a puck shooting simulator that projected a goalie onto a screen and measured the speed of the fan’s shot. Seemingly, all of Washington D.C.’s best food restaurants were there in trucks or tents giving away samples and selling food. The entire event oozed excitement, and the crowd was enthralled with hours of entertainment. Chants were breaking out, fans with their face painted or in a costume of their choice were out in packs, and the game was still three or four hours from starting.
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NHL games are always special. There’s nothing like the first time you experience one. The puck crosses the goal line, the players throw their hands up in elation, the one who scored the goal celebrates emphatically, a loud goal horn goes off followed by a signature song and the crowd comes roaring out of their seats. It’s an electrifying experience. However, there’s an extra special aspect when the teams are playing outdoors. It brings the game back to its roots. Players who started playing hockey as kids with their buddies out on a frozen pond somewhere in the world are now brought back in memory to that experience. The cold weather, the snow falling, laying it all on the line in the name of hockey. Living the dreams they played out in their heads back when they were young. So, what makes these games so special to attend? The celebration of the game of hockey.
