No official announcement, but TSN and the Chicago Sun-Times are reporting that the NHL will stage another outdoor game on Jan. 1 in Chicago, with the Blackhawks hosting the Red Wings.
As you'll recall, two weeks ago, we reported here that Commissioner Gary Bettman seemed pessimistic about the Yankee Stadium option, and that Chicago and Boston were the next two alternatives.
Unclear whether the game will be at Wrigley Field or the much-larger Soldier Field.
Comments (30)
When you get down to it, Yankee Stadium was really not a good choice...you know January weather in NY can be very tricky...it can just as easily be 50 degrees F as 30 degrees F...what made the Buffalo Pittsburgh game was the swirling snow and the cold...much more likely to get the same kind of day in Chicago than in NY.
Besides, like it or not, Bettman was caught between a rock and a hard place....the Islanders and Devils both made it clear they felt they should be part of this while NBC made it clear they wanted an original six matchup.
By going to Chicago, Bettman is simply not going to be put in a position of favoring the Rangers over the Islanders and the Devils and that has to be a big factor in the decision.
Canucks D Luc Bourdon was killed in a motorcycle accident today, only 21 years old.
terrible news
I really hope the NHL did not use the I don't want the Devils and Islanders to be upset as the reason for not having a Ranger Bruin game at Yankee Stadium. The other 2 locals only have about 50,000 fans combined and that's being generous. Let them play some other time at randalls island and put it on msg 2 tv.
Oh please May, don't let your Ranger ignorance cloud your thoughts. An Isles-Rangers game would have been the best thing the NHL could have done. The stadium would have been rocking and would have brought alot of attention to the NYC Metro area.
Mike - sorry I disagree. NBC wanted no part of an Islander or Devils involvement. The stadium would be rocking if the Bruins or Redwings were there. Why do the Islanders deserve it over the Devils. The islanders have not won a playoff series in 15 years and have virtually no fans to speak of. The game would be in 2009 not 1983. deal with it.
Rangers Rule
"Why do the Islanders deserve it over the Devils."
Cuz starting 2 years ago the Islanders did all the legwork with the Yankees to get this idea going and IN FACT got the Yankees to agree to it?
Read all about it here sir...
http://nyipointblank.blogspot.com/2008/05/take-me-out-of-ballgame.html
All for naught though....it ain't gonna happen.
Come on. The NHL should give the exposure to the Islanders and the Devils, two teams in the largest TV market in the country.
Two reasons factored into Bettmans decision not to hold the game in Yankee Stadium. He mentioned in an interview that Yankee stadium wasn't set up for a cold weather event. He also mentioned that they are digging up all of the TV cables that run under the parking lot this winter to redirect them to the new venue.
I'm personally surprised that it isn't going to be Toronto - Wings at the "Big House" (Michigan). That facility has hosted events in the past and a Canadian/USA match up of original six teams would get great ratings here and across Canada.
BtW, The ratings are in on last nights game. 33% share in Pittsburgh high 20 share in Detroit and only a 1.8% share in NY.
BNG,
Not sure of what your point is about the ratings but considering that there is no NY metro area team in the finals, the fact that New York is a larger media market (with more choices of programing and other forms of entertainment in general) and that the New York metro area has a population 3 times that of the Detriot and Pittsburgh metro area's combined, what you said doesn't surprise me.
The trolls have officially ruined both blogs by the way. Time for Zip and Logan to meet and start lobbying for logins.
BNG, in your case, apparently the world does revolve around New York, since you are posting on Newsday's website and not the Tribune-Review. Unless you're just trolling.
Your ratings information is pointless. If it was the Rangers or Islanders or Devils vs. Detroit, the ratings in PA wouldn't be close to what they are now. Obviously the ratings are highest in the markets of the teams that are playing.
It wouldn't make sense for the NHL to have the Rangers vs. Islanders. Better to have two different markets, for ratings purposes. And clearly, the Rangers would be the bigger draw.
Poeschek - now you've done it. you hurt the Islanders fans feelings. they think they the world revolves around them. they also think Reagen is the President of the US.
The post at 17:56 wasn't me.
I live here in NY now. I actually like NY. I understand that NY has more options for the entertainment dollar. But the comment that the national ratings were over a full point higher across the USA than they were in NY is relevant to a discussion on why the "Winter Classic" won't be in NY.
BNG - so you think a game in Yankee Stadium between the Rangers and Wings or Rangers and Bruins would not be a great idea. remember Yankee Stadium will soon be gone at least the old one will. The stadiums in Chicago will be there for a while.
The comment at 19:23 about FDR was not me..
Ice worms galore on the Ranger/Islander blogs
Any discussions about the Winter Fest are moot.
There are too many unresolved logistical issues for having it in Yankee Stadium.
BNG,
Not sure if it was you or a troll but my point was that New York is a larger market with more people watching and no home teams in the finals. This is why NY had a low market share. Merely facts, not opinions. Never suggested the rest of the cities were a cave, that was all from you.
Analyzing the IP addresses of the fake posts shows that 90% of them are from the same address Busey uses.
Blake Wheeler, who the Coyotes drafted 5th overall in 2004 ahead of Al Montoya, has rejected the Coyotes contract offer and will now be a UFA.
The Coyotes will receive an additional 2nd rounder this year as compensation.
Looking for some opinions but I feel that most of the responses will be the troll and have something to do with being gay in Montreal but here I go anyway....
Islanders need a first line center and we have too many centers. The Islanders offered Drury more money than we did last summer. So with that in mind this trade came to mind.
Drury to the Isles for their 1st and 2nd round picks.
We take the biggest and baddest D-man available at #5 overall. And then either take the best player available or Jared Staal at #20 or try for Staal with the Isles 2nd rd pick.
This trade would clear a lot of money off the books and give us two 1st rd picks. It gives the Isles their top line center.
I'm not saying I am completely sold on this idea but it seems to make sense to me from both sides. Obviously I just would rather that Drury return to form and score 37 goals for us next year, but what are your thoughts? I'm also not sure if there was a "no movement" clause in Drury's contract which would make this idea useless.
Joke,
Drury does have a no movement clause.
Expect Drury to be with the Rangers for the rest of the 4 years of his contract.
I fully expect the Rangers to select Jared Staal at #20.
The only thing that could prevent that is if Carolina takes him at #14.
Carolina goofed when they didn't take Marc Staal in 2005 when they could and took Jack Johnson instead, I don't think they want to pass on another Staal brother.
FYI
All posts since Wednesday have not been mine. You all know that I'm not a moron like this idiot. This is my FINAL post until the season starts because I'm tired of battling morons who like to post under my name. So disregard anything posted under my name until the season starts.
Have a great summer.
The "real" Busey
the Rangers will not deal with the Isles and vica versa. also same for other teams in division except maybe Pitt.
There's only one New York hockey team and that's the Rangers! Rangers vs. Bruins at the Stadium!
Alright Isles505: The "bought" the cup reference is just totall bullsh!t and you know it. How many free agents did the Rangers bring in in the 93-94 season ?
Former Oilers... yeah, so what, hockey players are moved around so much, its not uncommon to look at 1 team and see several players who were on 1 team at one time or another
Effigy...
"Alright Isles505: The "bought" the cup reference is just totall bullsh!t and you know it."
That wasn't me.......an ice worm.
I am a YANKEE fan....I have no issues with teams dipping into the market of hired guns. It is the nature of the sports world today.
Posting the first three octets of the IP address would go a long way to exposing the trolls who post under other peoples names.
For instance I'd be 205.132.222.xxx
No matter who I picked for my name those same numbers would always come up and pretty much 'out' that posts under different names were coming from the same IP address, without exposing IP addresses to hackers.
Trolls could circumvent this by posting from multiple PC's but it would make it tougher to do so.
This is the funniest site, if you read through the posts really quick.
"The post at 18:44 was definately not mine, as I deplore the Yankees and all they stand for. Nice try, imposter."
riiiiggghhhtttt....
Y-A-W-N.
505 DEFINITELY always spells correctly.
Those damn 3+ syllable words are always an issue for the ice worm.
@ Guy
A mock draft "might" work over here:
http://ordinaryleastsquare.typepad.com/blueshirtbulletin/
blurt...
"and post at 2"15, when everyone else has a mate, lonely arent you."
And you are responding to my post at 2:24AM because...?????
Pot meet kettle?
Makes me wonder if you're the worm who used my handle to post at 2:16AM