Post-Game Talk: 2018 Winter Classic: Sabres vs. Rangers at Citi Field

[Taro Tsujimoto]

Goathead throwbacks, anyone?

The Winter Classic likely will make its New York debut on New Year’s Day 2018, with an outdoor game at Citi Field in Queens between the Rangers and Sabres close to being finalized, two sources confirmed to Newsday.

The signature outdoor event for the NHL has been held all around the Eastern half of the U.S., but never in New York.

The Rangers have played in one prior Winter Classic, against the Flyers in Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia in 2012. The planned selection of the Sabres for the next installment is a nod to Buffalo hosting the first Winter Classic in 2008 and this next one will be the 10th such game.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/hocke...with-rangers-vs-sabres-sources-say-1.13268887

EDIT: Official:

Click to read more...

 

[sabresfan129103]

Man, I thought we were gonna host it here. Outdoor WJC US vs Canada and Winter classic Toronto vs Buffalo. That's what I was hoping for at least.

 

[SharkInABoloTie]

Man, I thought we were gonna host it here. Outdoor WJC US vs Canada and Winter classic Toronto vs Buffalo. That's what I was hoping for at least.

Either way, I would be excited for the Sabres to be in that game, considering how we have not improved much. I could see TV heads not feeling amazing about the idea. We will see.

 

[Husko]

Man, I thought we were gonna host it here. Outdoor WJC US vs Canada and Winter classic Toronto vs Buffalo. That's what I was hoping for at least.

Would've made too much sense...

 

[Not Sure]

Man, I thought we were gonna host it here. Outdoor WJC US vs Canada and Winter classic Toronto vs Buffalo. That's what I was hoping for at least.

I mean yeah that makes a ton of sense, but this is the NHL we are talking about here.

 

[Duddy]

That's awesome.

Get excited

 

[MayDay]

Wow that would be so awesome!

As a Sabres fan who now lives in the NYC area, and a Mets fan too, it's like they planned this just for me.

Hope this is true, because if it is I am going one way or another.

 

[silverfish]

This will be a home game for Buffalo. Madison Square Garden's tax exemption from NYC necessitates that all Rangers home games be played at MSG.

Unless they fuddle around this for a special circumstance?

The Stadium Series a few years back was Rangers vs. Isles and Rangers vs. Devils at Yankees Stadium, home games for the Isles and Devils.

 

[TehDoak]

Typically Road teams get a home game at some point. Wish I still had my place in Queens though

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

This is awesome! There's are tons of Sabres fans here in New York, so there will be plenty of fans attending for both teams. I just saw a guy with a Sabres cap on the subway this morning! We're everywhere

 

[MayDay]

This is awesome! There's are tons of Sabres fans here in New York, so there will be plenty of fans attending for both teams. I just saw a guy with a Sabres cap on the subway this morning! We're everywhere

There are lots of transplanted WNYers in the NYC area.

I see people with Bills hats on quite frequently. I haven't seen as much Sabres gear since the start of the rebuild, but 10 years ago I would see a ton of that too - and back then there would be huge numbers of Sabres fans at Rangers and Isles games. So they are out there, if not as public lately.

A Winter Classic game in NYC would have a ton of Sabres fans in attendance.

 

[sabresfan3383]

Already booked a hotel room to be on he safe side. Hooray reward nights haha

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

There are lots of transplanted WNYers in the NYC area.

I see people with Bills hats on quite frequently. I haven't seen as much Sabres gear since the start of the rebuild, but 10 years ago I would see a ton of that too - and back then there would be huge numbers of Sabres fans at Rangers and Isles games. So they are out there, if not as public lately.

A Winter Classic game in NYC would have a ton of Sabres fans in attendance.

Yes, it was definitely more apparent when Sabres were good, haha. Those were the days...I loved giving hi-five's to strangers around the city with buffalo gear on during the playoffs. Hopefully we're back in the playoffs someday

 

[LaxSabre]

There had been chatter for more than a year that the Sabres were interested in hosting the 2018 game in a nod to the 10th anniversary of their iconic shootout loss to Pittsburgh played in the snow of Orchard Park on January 1, 2008. But that speculation was put to rest when plans were announced last year for an outdoor game as part of the 2018 World Junior Championships. United States and Canada will be playing in Orchard Park on December 27 and officials from the Sabres and Bills have said it would be impossible to turn the stadium around in 3-4 days to accommodate two crowds in the 70,000 range.

LaxSabre - Correction in article - New York has hosted a Winter Classic-the first one-January 1, 2008-Buffalo, NEW YORK. New York CITY area hasn't hosted a Winter Classic.

 

[sabremike]

We essentially sold one of our home games. I can't understand why people here aren't livid. What if the de facto rags home game costs us a playoff spot? I live near NYC and am in no way happy about this.

 

[Paxon]

We essentially sold one of our home games. I can't understand why people here aren't livid. What if the de facto rags home game costs us a playoff spot? I live near NYC and am in no way happy about this.

You gotta be kidding. If they don't make the playoffs because 1 of their 41 home games became an 'away' game, good. They would in no way be deserving of being in the playoffs. It's not like it's a home game for the Rangers, either. Their routines are going to be completely different. The environment will be completely different. Who cares?

 

[Sabreality]

We essentially sold one of our home games. I can't understand why people here aren't livid. What if the de facto rags home game costs us a playoff spot? I live near NYC and am in no way happy about this.

one less game for home 'fans' to sell off their tickets, sounds good to me.

 

[TehDoak]

We essentially sold one of our home games. I can't understand why people here aren't livid. What if the de facto rags home game costs us a playoff spot? I live near NYC and am in no way happy about this.

Think long term. Winter Classic is a national game. An up and coming young team getting to showcase their young superstar can raise their profile.

We need Buffalo to become a destination for players, not an afterthought.

Yes, we're potentially losing a home game (unconfirmed), but its really about having a commercial for our team.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

I'd gladly give up 3 home games if it meant getting to see the Sabres on the big stage again. Eichel playing in that ? Yes please. Just thinking about it has me giddy. A game like that will give exposure to the entire country for Eichel as one of the future superstars of the league.

 

[sabremike]

You gotta be kidding. If they don't make the playoffs because 1 of their 41 home games became an 'away' game, good. They would in no way be deserving of being in the playoffs. It's not like it's a home game for the Rangers, either. Their routines are going to be completely different. The environment will be completely different. Who cares?

Citi Field is literally a 25 minute subway ride from MSG. If you think we won't be outnumbered by at least a 6-1 margin in the stands you are nuts. Do you think the Bruins, Habs or Leafs would agree to move one of their home games to an opponent's back yard?

 

[1972]

I'd gladly give up 3 home games if it meant getting to see the Sabres on the big stage again. Eichel playing in that ? Yes please. Just thinking about it has me giddy. A game like that will give exposure to the entire country for Eichel as one of the future superstars of the league.

You realize this team being good would do that too right? Who cares how fans on hfboards perceive Jack Eichel. I'd take a good hockey team in Buffalo over Keith Jones pumping Eichels at the Winter Classic anyday. A superstar on a small market bad team is not going to get a crazy amount of hype...

 

[sabremike]

Also the Winter Classic is totally played out at this point. The league took a novelty of playing outdoors and beat it into the ground.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

You realize this team being good would do that too right? Who cares how fans on hfboards perceive Jack Eichel. I'd take a good hockey team in Buffalo over Keith Jones pumping Eichels at the Winter Classic anyday.

The game would have absolutely nothing to do with HFBoards and Leaf/Finnish fans opinions of him. I'm talking about the entire country, like in 06-07 when Maxim Afinogenov and about 5 other Sabres were in the top 10 for jersey sales. That is the exposure I'm talking about not the opinions of message board posters.

 

[TehDoak]

Citi Field is literally a 25 minute subway ride from MSG. If you think we won't be outnumbered by at least a 6-1 margin in the stands you are nuts. Do you think the Bruins, Habs or Leafs would agree to move one of their home games to an opponent's back yard?

You think crowd noise is a legit concern on an ice rink that is a good 100 feet from the nearest fan? I doubt they can hear much from the crowd there.


You act like we're going to automatically lose that game. Outdoor games are more of a coinflip than anything else. Maybe we're slightly favored at home for games.

 

[sabremike]

You think crowd noise is a legit concern on an ice rink that is a good 100 feet from the nearest fan? I doubt they can hear much from the crowd there.


You act like we're going to automatically lose that game. Outdoor games are more of a coinflip than anything else. Maybe we're slightly favored at home for games.

So we go from slight favorite to coin flip. That's the problem. Want Eichel to get noticed? Get into the playoffs and have him do to someone what Tavares did to the Panthers.