Wild to host 2021 Winter Classic

[KevFu]

10:30am PST (aka 11:30am AZT or 11:30am MST). Phoenix is in Arizona. Arizona does not participate in daylight savings time. They are "always" on MST (never on MDT), which is why some call it AZT

Yeah, thanks for explaining to me the time where I live. Coverage might have started at 10:30 am, but puck drop was 11 am PT / 12 pm MT.

 

[KevFu]

I think the Winter Classic and Stadium Series has kind of run it's course a little bit.

The whole "Let's play a hockey game in an NFL Stadium!" was a good unique thing the first time, and then "let's play in an iconic baseball stadium like Fenway and Wrigley" was fun.

But now that we're getting to "We could use UNLV's run down football stadium that wasn't acceptable for the Raiders to play in" or "I'm sure there's a stadium outside in Raleigh somewhere" it's kind of lost it's mystique.


The only "Cool" thing about playing an NHL game in some generic football stadium is that the NHL can sell 40 to 80 thousand tickets instead of under 20.


I want to see one at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix just to see how many people show up and give us an idea of if a downtown arena would make the Coyotes like, actually able to fill a stadium. But other than that, it's just not that interesting anymore.

 

[Yukon Joe]

The only "Cool" thing about playing an NHL game in some generic football stadium is that the NHL can sell 40 to 80 thousand tickets instead of under 20.

Have you been to an outdoor game? It's a really fun fan experience. I still very fondly remember going to the 2016 Heritage Classic, even with the delay for excessive sunlight. Sometimes, when you get a light snowfall going, the visuals on tv are stunning.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

Have you been to an outdoor game? It's a really fun fan experience. I still very fondly remember going to the 2016 Heritage Classic, even with the delay for excessive sunlight. Sometimes, when you get a light snowfall going, the visuals on tv are stunning.

Yes and I agree with Kev, they suck.

 

[KevFu]

I understand the appeal of attending. I'd love to go to one.

I'm merely saying that from a "TV Spectacle" standpoint, it was a cool novelty at first because it was outside. Then it was at these ICONIC venues like Fenway, Wrigley, YS, Dodger Stadium, Michigan Stadium, Notre Dame, Navy-USMC Stadium.

But now we've gone through the iconic places, and it's been going on for over a decade. And there's nothing iconic about Target Field, or Lincoln Financial Field. The spectacle is gone.

Does that make sense?

 

[M88K]

I understand the appeal of attending. I'd love to go to one.

I'm merely saying that from a "TV Spectacle" standpoint, it was a cool novelty at first because it was outside. Then it was at these ICONIC venues like Fenway, Wrigley, YS, Dodger Stadium, Michigan Stadium, Notre Dame, Navy-USMC Stadium.

But now we've gone through the iconic places, and it's been going on for over a decade. And there's nothing iconic about Target Field, or Lincoln Financial Field. The spectacle is gone.

Does that make sense?

The spectacle wore out because it was the same 5 teams every year, and for home viewers it is on NBC

 

[LadyStanley]

31 Thoughts: How recent Stanley Cup champions approached trade deadline - Sportsnet.ca

While the Jets were mentioned by some pundits immediately after announcement of the Winter Classic being hosted by Minnesota, Friedman believes St Louis is in the lead to be the 2021 visiting opponent.

 

[AKL]

You could do open roof Winter Classic there, use AC if you need it (but probably won't because it's like low 40, high of 65 here around New Year's), and there'd be no sun on the ice because the roof is high enough.

Not at noon it isn't. You'd probably be looking at 55 and sunny at noon. That would take a lot of work to keep the ice in tact, and the NHL would never go for an indoor WC.

 

[AKL]

I understand the appeal of attending. I'd love to go to one.

I'm merely saying that from a "TV Spectacle" standpoint, it was a cool novelty at first because it was outside. Then it was at these ICONIC venues like Fenway, Wrigley, YS, Dodger Stadium, Michigan Stadium, Notre Dame, Navy-USMC Stadium.

But now we've gone through the iconic places, and it's been going on for over a decade. And there's nothing iconic about Target Field, or Lincoln Financial Field. The spectacle is gone.

Does that make sense?

Didn't they just sell over 80k tickets in Dallax, TX? Doesn't seem like the spectacle is as gone as you think it is.

 

[ottawa]

Didn't they just sell over 80k tickets in Dallax, TX? Doesn't seem like the spectacle is as gone as you think it is.

Re-read his comment.

 

[sh724]

31 Thoughts: How recent Stanley Cup champions approached trade deadline - Sportsnet.ca

While the Jets were mentioned by some pundits immediately after announcement of the Winter Classic being hosted by Minnesota, Friedman believes St Louis is in the lead to be the 2021 visiting opponent.

It would not surprise me at all to see STL in the game. Minnesota is a rather vanilla team and doesnt have any strong rivalries. STL has the recent success to draw attention and the Blues hosted the WC in 2017 but have never been the road team in any outdoor game.

 

[sh724]

I think the Winter Classic and Stadium Series has kind of run it's course a little bit.

The whole "Let's play a hockey game in an NFL Stadium!" was a good unique thing the first time, and then "let's play in an iconic baseball stadium like Fenway and Wrigley" was fun.

But now that we're getting to "We could use UNLV's run down football stadium that wasn't acceptable for the Raiders to play in" or "I'm sure there's a stadium outside in Raleigh somewhere" it's kind of lost it's mystique.


The only "Cool" thing about playing an NHL game in some generic football stadium is that the NHL can sell 40 to 80 thousand tickets instead of under 20.


I want to see one at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix just to see how many people show up and give us an idea of if a downtown arena would make the Coyotes like, actually able to fill a stadium. But other than that, it's just not that interesting anymore.

I dont see how an outdoor game would be any indication of the viability of a downtown arena. An outdoor game will always be a bigger draw than indoor because of the spectacle. I am sure it will 'sell out' regardless of who is playing. There is also the possibility of a ton of visiting fans buying tickets

 

[KevFu]

I dont see how an outdoor game would be any indication of the viability of a downtown arena. An outdoor game will always be a bigger draw than indoor because of the spectacle. I am sure it will 'sell out' regardless of who is playing. There is also the possibility of a ton of visiting fans buying tickets

My point was more that lots of people think "People in Arizona just don't care about hockey," and if they have a game at Chase, and only like 20,000 show up, then you can call that confirmed. We'd be more likely to believe ARZ would sell more tickets with an arena closer to the East Valley.

 

[KevFu]

Articulating a spectacle is difficult. Just because you get a large number of people doesn't make it spectacle.

Williams–Brice Stadium in South Carolina is a huge stadium that holds 80,000 for college football. That doesn't make all South Carolina games a spectacle. Especially when they were 4-8 last year. They're undefeated and hosting undefeated Alabama under the lights with ESPN Game Day in attendance or on CBS, that could be a spectacle.

I'm saying that just being in an outdoor stadium doesn't make it a spectacle. Having it in an iconic stadium, sure. But just being big or being old doesn't make it an iconic stadium.

But Dodger Stadium with the palm trees beyond the outfield, and Vin Scully introducing teams... that's the spectacle the NHL was going for.

We've crossed all the iconic stuff off the list, and now it's just "They played in a big stadium."


Here's an example...
Florida at Arizona, regular season game on January 2nd = Not a spectacle.
Florida at Arizona, regular season game on January 1st at the Glendale football stadium; 80,000 people = still not really a spectacle anymore.

We've seen that kind of game dozens of times, the venue isn't an iconic, hallowed ground stadium.

But if they played that game on a rink they built on the riverbed in the Grand Canyon with 50,000 seats and thousands more along the edge of the Grand Canyon rims with binoculars and started at 3 pm local and the sun set late in the game... THAT'S a spectacle.


Does that make sense?

 

[LeafsNation75]

And they have done Ducks/Kings at Dodger Stadium, Kings and Sharks at Levis, and are going to do Kings at Avs next year in Stadium Series games.

NEVER PLAYED in outdoor game:
Tampa Bay, Florida, Columbus, Carolina, Arizona, Vegas

NHL Markets not hosting Outdoor Game:
Tampa Bay, Florida, Columbus, Carolina, Arizona, Nashville, Ottawa, Montreal, and Vegas (but they did have a neutral site preseason game in the 90s, the grasshopper game).

Ottawa hosted the NHL 100 Classic on December 16, 2017 at TD Place Stadium and their opponent was Montreal.

 

[GrkFlyersFan]

Winnipeg was the best road team, but STL would be a lot better than Chicago. Chicago needs to sit these games out for at least a few years.

 

[JianYang]

I don't even know, does Vancouver (or anywhere nearby) have a venue suitable for hosting an outdoor game?

Well, the roof is retractable at BC Place, so they could technically play an outdoor game in the same facility as the heritage game they hosted earlier.

The thing is, it feels more like sitting in a car with an open moonroof than a full top down convertible. Its not the same.

Seatttle hosting an outdoor game against vancouver sounds good in theory, but you are really taking a gamble betting on a rain free day on a typical winter day in the Pacific Northwest. Wasn't it raining when the canucks hosted a few years ago as well?

 

[SCBlueLiner]

I understand the appeal of attending. I'd love to go to one.

I'm merely saying that from a "TV Spectacle" standpoint, it was a cool novelty at first because it was outside. Then it was at these ICONIC venues like Fenway, Wrigley, YS, Dodger Stadium, Michigan Stadium, Notre Dame, Navy-USMC Stadium.

But now we've gone through the iconic places, and it's been going on for over a decade. And there's nothing iconic about Target Field, or Lincoln Financial Field. The spectacle is gone.

Does that make sense?

Target Field is going to be a great venue, downtown Minneapolis in the State of Hockey. That place is going to be incredible. The rest of the country may not know it yet, but those who live in the Upper Midwest know how cool this is going to be and are excited.

I'm looking forward to the hour long pregame because there is a big story to tell about hockey in Minnesota that much of the country may not know entirely about. Of course, I'll have to DVR it because I will probably be at the game.

 

[MNNumbers]

Target Field is going to be a great venue, downtown Minneapolis in the State of Hockey. That place is going to be incredible. The rest of the country may not know it yet, but those who live in the Upper Midwest know how cool this is going to be and are excited.

I'm looking forward to the hour long pregame because there is a big story to tell about hockey in Minnesota that much of the country may not know entirely about. Of course, I'll have to DVR it because I will probably be at the game.

No arguing that, SCBL. But, that's not really KevFu's point. His point is NOT 'what makes a great venue'. There are LOTS of picturesque places to hold an outdoor game. KevFu's point is: There is no national history at Target Field. It isn't a famous place in any way. Nothing significant has ever happened there. There is no national voice saying, "Wow!!! How cool would it be go to Target Field for a hockey game!!!!" The places that would get that kind of response are already used.

That's his point. Nevertheless, the NHL will continue to do these games until the profit goes out of it for them. It's obviously a money grab.

 

[KevFu]

Right.

MLB playing at the Field of Dreams site in Iowa is a "Oh, that sounds cool, I want to see what they do there. Is the outfield wall going to be CORN?"

NFL playing in London on the other hand... you're not saying "OMG, I gotta see what the NFL looks like in London!" It looks exactly the same, only they also play God Save The Queen and the PA announcer has an English accent. If you LIVE THERE it's awesome, sure. But if you don't, it's nothing special.

The NHL Outdoor games are veering toward that nothing special for those out of market. It's better than selling 20,000 tickets inside, and it's on national TV and the tailgating is fun. But it's not this iconic thing.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

GDI, the Blues as the opponents? Seriously? Why the f*** is the league always trying to run them down the throats of hockey fans like they do the Penguins, Blackhawks, .........

......... wait, this is only the 2nd time the Blues will have ever been in an outdoor game. Never mind, carry on.

 

[LadyStanley]

Blues to play Wild in 2021 NHL Winter Classic

The Blues in Minnesota New Year's day