Winter Classic in South Bend looks to be an attendance disaster

[epo]

Every team played 2 neutral site games that year, and were home team for one and away for the other.

 

[Bixby Snyder]

So, not "an attendance disaster"?

Nope, but apparently the goalposts have been moved and there are other 'reasons' as to why the 2nd highest attended NHL game is, in fact, a 'disaster'.

 

[Beauner]

Pens had to "distribute" tons of tickets to get their latest outdoor game to be a "sellout."

I have a friend that is in promotions for a company that is a main NHL sponsor and was given stacks of tickets to that game to get rid of the week leading up to it.

So this is nothing new.

I remember a about 2 weeks before the game they started offering "student rush" tickets for, like, $30.

 

[crimsonace]

Most of the "home" team stuff is contractually obligated. The Caps were likely the home team for the same reason the Islanders & Devils were "home" against the Rangers in Yankee Stadium...

The Rangers' lease says they CANNOT play a home game in another venue, period. So for the Rangers to be in the Stadium Series at Yankee Stadium, they had to be the visitor.

That was the NHL's years when every team played two neutral site games, one as the "home" and one as the "visiting" team. I thought it was an odd technicality that the Capitals were the designated home team in a game being played a three-hour drive from Chicago (and in a city that had a Blackhawks minor league team).

Other than that, I can't think of an instance where an NHL team played an actual home game outside its time zone since the 1930s. The Blackhawks played four home games in Indianapolis in the 1950s, but Indiana was in the Central Time Zone at the time.

 

[c9777666]

Even if they stop putting the Blackhawks in next year's game.... what stadium and team combination can you go with going forward?

 

[crimsonace]

Even if they stop putting the Blackhawks in next year's game.... what stadium and team combination can you go with going forward?

Wild/TCF Bank Stadium would be an obvious choice, even though the Wild don't really move the needle much for NBC (then again, neither do the Stars). I know it has hosted a Stadium Series game. It's the one main northern market that has not hosted a Winter Classic.
Denver/Mile High would be an obvious choice but it would have to go around the Broncos schedule (and again, the Avs are not one of the teams often showcased by NBC)
CBJ/Ohio Stadium would be fun, but again, the team would likely have to move the needle a bit. It's an iconic stadium, though.
Seattle will likely get one at the Seahawks' stadium, but the possibility of rain makes that a difficult one to put forth.

 

[patnyrnyg]

Most of the "home" team stuff is contractually obligated. The Caps were likely the home team for the same reason the Islanders & Devils were "home" against the Rangers in Yankee Stadium...

The Rangers' lease says they CANNOT play a home game in another venue, period. So for the Rangers to be in the Stadium Series at Yankee Stadium, they had to be the visitor.

I believe the stipulation is if the "home" game is played in the state of NY, it must be at MSG.

 

[BattleBorn]

I believe the stipulation is if the "home" game is played in the state of NY, it must be at MSG.

I read it the way KevFu read it when this whole thing was discussed. All home games had to be played at MSG.

If there's any place where the state doesn't matter much, it's Manhattan. The Rangers taking a quick jaunt over to the Meadowlands isn't likely, but I'm sure MSG wouldn't want that to happen ever.