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Winter Classic Could Be Spark That Leads To Fire For Ice Cold NHL

Matt Bodenschatz | National Hockey League

Jan 3, 12:15 PM | Hype this story!

So the Winter Classic has come and gone, and there really is very little to complain about. In fact, I can’t really think of anything I disliked.

In all, it was a spectacular event, and that is what the NHL needed.

This morning I am going to discuss why exactly this was such a hit and what the NHL needs to do to build on its success.

Possibly the most important word I have heard associated with the “Ice Bowl,” as many called it, is “event.”

The outdoor game was an event, not just a hockey game.

By event, I mean it was hyped to the point where fans, media types, players, and everyone else involved really had a genuine excitement.

Prior to the game there were tailgate parties complete with music, food, and some beverages of choice. Once in the stadium, there were fireworks, helicopters and special anthem singers.

If you mentioned those characteristics of the game to someone, he or she likely would assume it was a football game you were talking about. Why? Because the NFL makes each game an event.

Sure, in the NFL, each team plays just 16 regular season games in comparison to the 82 games played by each NHL team, but there remains no excuse for hockey officials to keep the games so monotonous.

The Winter Classic was a unique experience — after all, it was the first professional outdoor game in United States history – but why can’t the NHL hype a weekly game this much?

My proposal is for the NHL to pick two games (preferably during the weekend) per week, one from each conference, to serve as the games of the week. Broadcast the games nationally (even if only on Versus, for the time-being), have “famous” anthem singers, have pregame shows that take viewers outside the arenas where fans are prepping, etc., etc.

The more the NHL makes its games into complete events, the more fans will be drawn in.

Of course, having a Winter Classic each year wouldn’t hurt, either.

Some might say weather is a concern, the ice could cause injuries, the novelty idea could wear off, and the list goes on. But that’s what makes the game so great, it’s unpredictable.

Tuesday afternoon, the weather, which was far from perfect, made the game much more enjoyable to watch than if the sun was shining.

The novelty of watching a hockey game being played in the elements, in the snow is something many sports fans likely were drawn to.

I speak only for myself, but when I channel surf Sunday afternoons and see a football game being played in the snow, I automatically stop and watch because I want to see how the players react and how the game changes.

It’s just fun.

And, in general, that is exactly what the Winter Classic was: fun.

The players loved it. The fans loved it. The media loved it.

When something is that big of a success – and the 2.6 television rating indicates it was – it must be continued and must be used as a springboard for new, bigger and better events.

If NHL executives want their league (ranked behind figure skating, fishing and horse racing) to rise beyond being the 15th most popular sport in the country, they have no choice but to learn from the Winter Classic.

New viewers tuned in Tuesday, now it’s up to the NHL to turn these people into fans. It can be done. It has to be done.