Penguins vs. Sabres Outdoor Hockey: Amp NHL Winter Classic

The ice bowl went off, for the most part, without incident yesterday, and left people wondering : Sure it was a beautiful occasion, with perfect conditions and a sellout crowd, but is it worth doing again? The only answer i can possibly give you, from a first hand account of being there (section 306), is absolutely, positively: Yes!

I have been to a lot of sporting events in my life, in that very stadium for Bills games, in HSBC arena for hockey games, and I can tell you that nothing was like the experience of seeing hockey on the grandest stage yet. 70,000+ people there screaming there lungs out, a light snow in the air, helicopters flying overhead to start the game. Roman Tenor signing "God Bless America", it wasn't just a hockey game.

It was an event.

All the great festivities aside, this game also gave the NHL the one thing that has been missing, and that it is in desperate need of: Exposure. Besides being on Jan 1st, a day most Americans have off, it was front page news on most major sports websites, when usually the only time that happens is when a goon smacks another player on the head with a stick. From all the replays ive seen after i came home from the game, it looked perfect on TV, too, with the snow falling softly, it was picture perfect.

Add this to the fact that not everyone in America is a college football fan, and even those who are sometimes flip stations, and it gave the NHL the perfect opportunity to catch the casual viewer, and give them a chance to see hockey, maybe not at it's best (the snow created some problems too) but at least in a good light, as a giant sports spectacle, instead of on the 4th page of the sports section.

Locally in the greater Buffalo Area, the TV ratings were over 40, which is a huge amount considering 50,000 Western New Yorkers were at the game themselves. National rating weren't released yet as of this article, but it was expected to be the most watched hockey game in america in at least 20 years, which brings in more advertising revenue, and more money in general (ticket sales, concessions, parking, ).

Overall, the NHL should definitely schedule this more often. If not once a year, then at least once every other year, becuase it is a big deal for the NHL, and anything that's a positive big deal for the NHL should be done again.