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| NHL misses opportunity to spread the Classic wealth |
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| HPT Blogs |
| Written by Blake Benzel |
| Thursday, February 09, 2012 15:43 |
Detroit and Toronto will be the two teams playing in the 2013 Winter Classic, but are they the best two teams for the job? Common sense says that they might not be..jpg) The NHL announced on Thursday that Ann Arbor’s Michigan Stadium and Detroit’s Comerica Park will host the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 Winter Classic, only the worst kept secret in the sport.With the announcement, though, comes an obvious question that doesn’t seem to be asked: Isn’t it time to give other organizations the opportunity to participate in the NHL’s marquee event? Next year’s Winter Classic will mark the third straight year where a team that had already competed in the Classic will be involved in it again. Detroit participated in the second game, beating the Chicago Blackhawks, 6-4, at Wrigley Field on Jan. 1, 2009. To the NHL's credit, they have included teams in the previous two Classics that haven’t been participated in the past in the Capitals and the Rangers. This isn’t Pee Wee hockey. Not everyone gets to play, and the NHL is undoubtedly concerned about television ratings in their mid-season Classic. Still there are some terrific hockey markets that are being completely ignored when it comes to the Winter Classic. Minnesota has earned the moniker as the State of Hockey due to high school and college games garnering equal amounts of attention as the NHL’s Wild. It’s simply how popular the sport is in the state. The St. Louis Blues have long been a staple in the Gateway to the West. The franchise has experienced a revival this season with exciting young players and the hire of Ken Hitchcock as coach. Their name should have been brought into the discussion of potential hosts or opponents. Or maybe the Colorado Avalanche should get a shot. With exciting young players like Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene and a rich history of success under their belts, the Avs seem like the perfect fit to host a Winter Classic. The Ilya Kovalchuk-powered New Jersey Devils and the John Tavares-led New York Islanders are exciting to watch. Not to belabor the point but what about the Vancouver Canucks or the Ottawa Senators or the Winnipeg Jets? All of those franchises may have been better selections than the Maple Leafs. Despite Toronto and Detroit both being Original Six franchises, there is no great rivalry between these teams anymore. There isn’t anything that links them together anymore other than the distinction of being two of the first six teams in the NHL and a proximity of 240 miles. What is there that makes this a special game other than the fact that it will be held outdoors at Michigan Stadium? The answer is quite simple. There isn’t anything that’s compelling about an outdoors game involving the Wings and the Leafs. If the NHL wanted to have the Red Wings involved in this year’s Winter Classic, it had any number of potential opponents to choose from. Anaheim and San Jose have had intense playoff battles with Detroit post-lockout, with the Sharks having eliminated the Wings from the playoffs two years running. If the league was adamant about having storied rivals compete in its premier event, who doesn’t remember and feel nostalgia for the Avalanche-Red Wings rivalry? The NHL could have even selected the Pittsburgh Penguins for a record-setting third time and that would have made more sense than the Maple Leafs. Instead of picking two teams with an intrinsic hatred for one another, they picked two teams that have played each other just five times in the last five seasons. The NHL remains stuck in its rut. The league missed a prime chance to bringing the excitement of the Classic to markets that might not have experienced it in the past. The NHL played it safe in choosing the teams that they did and went for ratings and attendance figures. Because of the two markets involved, it may be a recipe for a successful draw at the gate and for a successful ratings draw in those markets, but for people who aren’t fans of the Red Wings and Maple Leafs, there doesn’t seem like much of a reason to tune in on January 1, 2013. You can follow us on Twitter: @HockeyPrimetime or follow Blake: @bcbenzel |
| Last Updated on Thursday, February 09, 2012 19:06 |