Looking Ahead: 2015 NHL Winter Classic
With the National Hockey League idle this Christmas Day, Betting Sports is looking ahead to the most anticipated event of the hockey calendar.
A week from today, the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks will take to the ice outdoors at Nationals Park in Washington to contest the 2015 NHL Winter Classic.
Opening faceoff on New Year’s Day is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, with 45,000-plus hockey fans expected to pass through the turnstiles.
NHL Winter Classic
While Gary Bettman and the NHL front office are widely criticized for any number of shortcomings, the decision to take hockey outdoors for the Winter Classic is one that most hockey followers approve of.
Initiated during the 2007-08 season, the Winter Classic has emerged as the most anticipated event of the year in hockey. More popular that opening night, more popular than the All-Star Game, and – to some fans at least – more popular than the Stanley Cup Finals, the Winter Classic is the showpiece event of the year.
The advent of the Winter Classic stems from two other outdoor games: the Cold War game between Michigan and Michigan State in 2001 and the NHL Heritage Classic game between the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers in 2003.
Since 2008 the league has hosted six Winter Classic games. All bar the 2012 edition have been held on New Year’s Day, with that game held on January 2 to make way for the final week of the 2011 NFL regular season.
In 2013, the event became a casualty of the player lockout, being postponed until the following season.
Last season, the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in a shootout at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. The game was attended by a record-setting crowd of 105,491.
While the 2015 installment of the event will be seen by less than half that number, it still figures to provide a spectacle for hockey fans.
Blackhawks vs. Capitals
Chicago will be appearing in its third open air game, and second Winter Classic.
In 2009, the second-ever Winter Classic saw the Blackhawks hosting the Red Wings at Wrigley Field. Detroit took a 6-4 victory from that game.
Last season, the Blackhawks welcomed the Pittsburgh Penguins to Soldier Field for a Stadium Series game in March. With snow falling, the Hawks crushed the Pens 5-1.
Washington’s experience with outdoor games stems back to the 2011 Winter Classic. Alexander Ovechkin and Co. scored a 3-1 victory over Pittsburgh at Heinz Field in that game.
The Capitals defeated the Blackhawks 3-2 under the roof when the two sides met at United Center in Chicago on November 7.
Bettors looking to get in on the New Year’s action should visit the link below closer to game day for the latest odds and trends.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Washington Capitals odds for 01/01/2015
It’s worth pointing out that the road team is 8-5 all-time in outdoor NHL games, and 5-1 in the Winter Classic. The only home side to leave the Classic with a victory was the Boston Bruins in 2010.
NHL Stadium Series
Following the Winter Classic, the NHL will return to the open air once more this season, hosting the latest game in the NHL Stadium Series.
On February 21, 2015, the Los Angeles Kings will travel up I-5 to Santa Clara, Calif., to face the San Jose Sharks, with the brand new Levi’s Stadium serving as the venue of choice.
The game will be the second open air contest to be contested under Californian skies. Last season, the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Kings 3-0 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
The Sharks will be participating in their first ever outdoor game.
You can see the complete history of NHL outdoor game s below.
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After a three-day break, hockey resumes on Saturday, with no fewer than 13 games on the docket.
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