Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres to play first outdoor NHL game in U.S.
The Buffalo Sabres will host the Pittsburgh Penguins at Ralph Wilson Stadium on January 1 as the NHL returns to its outdoor roots, the league announced on Monday.
The game will mark the second time the NHL has staged an outdoor regular season contest but the first in the United States. An NHL record crowd of 57,167 packed Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium on a bitterly cold November Saturday evening to watch the Oilers host the Montreal Canadiens in what was billed as the 2003 Heritage Classic. That record could be shattered, with Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the NFL Buffalo Bills, having a seating capacity of more than 73,000.
The game will feature two of the NHL's dynamic, young teams and sport's biggest draw, Penguins sensation Sidney Crosby. In just his second season, 20-year-old Crosby has established his credentials as the league's best player, claiming MVP honours last season after scoring 120 points to become the youngest player in the history of North American team sports to lead a league in scoring. The Penguins lineup also includes the reigning NHL rookie of the year Evgeni Malkin.
The Winter Classic 2008, as the game is being billed, will be televised nationally in both the United States and Canada and is expected to attract a huge crowd.
With Toronto just 90 minutes from Buffalo, the NHL expects thousands of hockey-mad Canadians to make the short trip, while Pittsburgh fans will also be within reach, less than four hours drive away.