Kukla's Korner Hockey
Entries with the tag: winter+classic
The January 1st Landscape Is Changing
by Paul on 08/18/09 at 11:32 AM ET
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from Dave Curtis of the Sporting News,
The expected bowl affiliation shakeup of 2009 started last week with news of two major changes that will come at the end of the 2010 season. The Big Ten likely will send a team to the Gator Bowl starting in January 2011, and the Pac-10 reportedly will ship its runner-up to play in the Alamo Bowl beginning in December 2010.
More minor changes will follow in the coming months. Three questions and themes off the alterations in college football’s postseason:
What’s happened to New Year’s Day? The BCS no doubt has stripped some stardust from Jan. 1, which college football once owned. And though the Rose Bowl still stands as a ratings giant, the day’s early bowls fight the NHL’s Winter Classic for eyeballs.
continue for more college football talk…
Anyone remember all outcry when the NHL announce the Winter Classic a few years ago? Looks like they were right.
Filed in: Hockey Related Stories | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
All About The 2010 Winter Classic
by Paul on 07/15/09 at 02:08 PM ET
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NEW YORK (July 15, 2009) – The National Hockey League’s annual outdoor game will return on New Year’s Day with the Boston Bruins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park—home of the Boston Red Sox—in the 2010 Bridgestone/NHL Winter ClassicTM. The Eastern Conference rivals will face-off at 1 p.m., ET in the classic, which received the SportsBusiness Journal “Sports Event of the Year” award for its inaugural edition in 2008.
“A unique event deserves a unique venue, and we are delighted the Bruins and Flyers will renew their rivalry with the ‘Green Monster’ providing the backdrop,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We welcome our fans, our teams, our sponsors and the great city of Boston to this annual celebration of our sport.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Hockey News Today
by Paul on 07/15/09 at 01:57 PM ET
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The NHL is holding a press conference today at 2pm ET to announce the Winter Classic Game at Fenway Park. Representatives from the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers will be on hand and the press conference can be seen on the NHL Network and NHL.com will be streaming the event too.
Also, the schedule for the 2009-10 NHL season will be released later today.
added 10:59am, Schuyler Baehman is Twittering from Fenway and taking some cool pictures too!
Watch the press conference from Fenway Park below…
added 2:07pm, Bettman noted NBC/NHL contract extended for 2 more years.
note: original post was 10:04am this morning.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
So, What Do You Think?
by Paul on 07/15/09 at 11:36 AM ET
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Picture via Schuyler Baehman of the NHL at twitpic where you can find more pictures from Fenway.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Flyers vs. Bruins At Fenway?
by Paul on 06/22/09 at 09:20 PM ET
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Joe Haggerty of WEEI says so. At one time, it was believed the Capitals were the favorite to be the opponent, but it now looks like the Flyers.
I do know Tarik El-Bashir of Captals Insider wrote earlier today that it looked doubtful that the Caps would be playing on New Year’s Day.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
NHL Says Fenway An Option For Winter Classic
by Paul on 04/09/09 at 01:58 PM ET
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from Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com,
The National Hockey League’s now famous “Winter Classic” could be staged at Fenway Park this coming New Year’s Day, although a decision hasn’t been made by the league to play the annual outdoor game there yet, an NHL spokesman said on Thursday.
“We’re looking at Fenway,” Frank Brown, the NHL’s group vice president of public relations, said in a telephone conversation about the 97-year-old home of the Red Sox. “But we’re looking at a variety of options.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Report- Hockey At Fenway
by Paul on 04/08/09 at 10:58 PM ET
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from Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa of the Boston Herald,
Don’t breathe a word of this. Because nobody’s supposed to know. But the Boston Bruins [team stats] will host the NHL’s Winter Classic outdoor hockey game against an unnamed opponent Jan. 1 at Fenway Park!
Our spies on Lansdowne Street say the League has given its blessing to a 2010 New Year’s Day game in the Hub of Hockey, choosing Boston over New York and Philadelphia.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Winter Classic Night On The NHL Network
by Paul on 01/26/09 at 06:30 PM ET
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Make sure to catch “Ice and Ivy” All Access: 2009 Winter Classic tonight on the NHL Network. followed by replays from both NBC & CBC of the Winter Classic. The shows will be broadcast in the US and Canada and the progamming begins at 9:00pm ET.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Winter Classic Destinations
by Paul on 01/14/09 at 12:24 PM ET
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from Michael Buteau at Bloomberg,
The Las Vegas Strip, Yankee Stadium and California’s Rose Bowl are on the list of potential sites for the National Hockey League’s annual outdoor game, NHL Chief Operating Officer John Collins said.
The league is evaluating potential locations of future outdoor games two weeks after this season’s edition, between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field on Jan. 1, drew the highest television ratings for the NHL in 34 years.
“This is really kind of becoming a destination event for hockey fans, but also sports fans,” Collins said in a telephone interview. We want to “open it up to the masses.”
Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Winter Classic TV Ratings Highest Since 1975
by Alanah McGinley on 01/12/09 at 03:24 PM ET
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From the Canadian Press via NHL.com:
The Winter Classic drew the biggest American television audience for a regular-season NHL game in nearly 34 years.
The Detroit Red Wings’ 6-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field on New Year’s Day attracted an average of 4.4 million U.S. viewers on NBC, the network said Monday.
That’s the most since a Philadelphia Flyers-New York Rangers game on Feb. 23, 1975, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, NHL Media | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: media, ratings, winter+classic,
Mom & Son At The Winter Classic
by Paul on 01/12/09 at 03:05 PM ET
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from Jed Lockett of the Bluefiend Daily Telegraph,
Note: This is the final part of Jed Lockett’s chronicle of a trip with his mother Nora to the National Hockey League Winter Classic, played on Jan. 1 at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
Wrigley Field is one of those rare sporting venues that has a certain magic about it. You can feel the history, the tradition and the meaning of the place. Just getting there can be a religious experience....
Chicago Blackhawks fans have a tradition that began in 1985 during a playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers. They clap and yell and make as much noise as possible during the national anthem. Two nights earlier in Detroit, a pair of visiting Chicago fans clapped throughout the song and it sounded odd. But when those two were added to an additional 30,000 as well as fireworks, explosions and a flyover from a pair of fighter jets, it made for a breathtaking experience.
more and part one of the story can be found here…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Winter Classic Jersey Auction
by Paul on 01/06/09 at 09:52 PM ET
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Get your wallet out and start bidding!
Patrick Kane’s jersey is at $2620 and Pavel Datsyuk’s is at the bargain price of $1220.
Ken Daniels mentioned tonight on the Wings broadcast Brett Lebda is still looking for the puck he scored with in the Winter Classic. Well, he can keep looking all he wants or start bidding at $110.
Check out all of the auction items.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Afternoon Line
by Paul on 01/03/09 at 12:29 PM ET
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I can only hope for the day when a kid in Texas can strap on a pair of blades in June and skate on an outdoor surface that simulates real ice. Only then does hockey have a chance to crack the national consciousness more often than when a Winter Classic game or Stanley Cup final is played.
But I don’t care today.
I am still fondly remembering Thursday’s Classic. It was a day to celebrate the sport for those who know it best and a chance to showcase it to the non-believers, and it was pulled off superbly.
If the rest of the U.S. wants to watch fly fishing, well, that’s their problem.
-Mike Milbury of Blogs and Columns at CBC.
Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Winter Classic Ratings
by Paul on 01/02/09 at 01:12 PM ET
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from Gene Laverty of Bloomberg,
The Detroit Red Wings’ 6-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks yesterday at Wrigley Field topped last year’s National Hockey League outdoor game by 12 percent in preliminary television ratings.
The game at the home of baseball’s Chicago Cubs was the third annual outdoor contest and had an overnight rating of 2.9, according to Nielsen Media Research. That tops the 2.6 rating for last year’s match in snowy Buffalo, New York, between the Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins, which had the biggest television audience for an NHL game since 1996.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Wrapping Up The Winter Classic
by Paul on 01/02/09 at 07:44 AM ET
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The Hockey Show takes us on an all access tour of the greatest outdoor party in Chicago.
from Lindsey Ungar at DetroitRedWings.com,
The taunting between fans of the Red Wings and Blackhawks went both ways, turning Wrigley Field into the “Not So Friendly Confines” Thursday afternoon.
Danni Wysocki, originally from Northville, Mich., but now living in Chicago, held up her “Our Mayor Can Beat Up Your Governor – Go Wings!” sign every chance she could.
Make sure to check out the pictures of the Winter Classic at NHL.com.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Winter Classic Hits A Home Run
by Paul on 01/01/09 at 07:24 PM ET
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Pierre LeBrun and Scott Burnside wrap up their impressions of the Winter Classic.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
+/- From The Winter Classic
by Paul on 01/01/09 at 05:16 PM ET
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from Mark Hermann of Newsday,
MINUS: What’s with those Indiana Jones hats for Detroit coach Mike Babcock and his staff?
PLUS: The Cup champion Red Wings are still the class of the league. Outstanding team.
MINUS: Sad to say, but it’s hard to imagine if the casual sports fan--the person who flipped over from the Nebraska-Clemson game on CBS--could name even one player on the Red Wings.
PLUS: Excellent point by Bob Costas in the closing segment, pointing out that Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls kept getting thwarted by the Detroit Pistons on their way up, the way it looks like the Blackhawks will have to do.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Updates From The Winter Classic
by Paul on 01/01/09 at 08:35 AM ET
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from Eric McErlain of AOL Fanhouse,
Well, the big day is finally here, and FanHouse is ready and on the ground in Chicago for the 2009 NHL Winter Classic. The twittering will start early and often on gameday, so be sure to check back frequently for updates all the way through the game and the postgame interview sessions.
continue for some pics and video from yesterday.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Obstructed Views From The Rooftops
by Paul on 12/31/08 at 06:14 PM ET
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from the Chicago Tribune,
Wrigleyville rooftop owners stopped just short of a lawsuit with complaints that video screens erected for Thursday’s Winter Classic in the right and leftfield corners of Wrigley Field would obstruct the view of their own paying customers.
Cubs chairman Crane Kenney confirmed that the longtime acrimony between the rooftop owners and the baseball team has spilled over into the hockey arena with threatening letters sent to the club objecting to the 16-by-14-foot screens.
“They’re not located to block the views of the rooftops,” said NHL spokesman Frank Brown, “but out of respect to certain quirks in Wrigley’s architecture. They’re as out of the way as they can be.”
Filed in: | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
No ‘Doc’ Tomorrow
by Paul on 12/31/08 at 02:21 PM ET
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from Puck The Media,
This news coming via an NBC Press Release:
CHICAGO — Dec. 31, 2008 — Hall of Fame broadcaster “Doc” Emrick will be unable to call tomorrow’s NHL Winter Classic due to laryngitis. Dave Strader, who is the play-by-play voice of the Phoenix Coyotes and has also worked for NBC Sports, will fill in for Emrick.
“Last year’s game was a lifetime memory and I couldn’t wait to call this year’s game at Wrigely,” said Emrick. “I’m extremely disappointed but I know Dave will do a wonderful job.”
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Mike+Emrick, Winter+Classic,
NHL Network Coverage Of Winter Classic Practice
by Paul on 12/31/08 at 12:33 PM ET
Comments (4)
The NHL Network is doing a great job covering the WC Practice at Wrigley. Great interviews, coaches are mic’d up and the scene is just great.
A bit of a concern with the ice, the players were asked not to do many quick turns in the corners since the ice is still not in the best of conditions right now.
Chicago is on the ice now, followed by the Wings.
The show is being hosted by Brian Duff and Larry Murphy with Gary Green handling the interviews.
added 12:45pm, Watch below the live strean of the WC Practice session at Wrigley…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Celebrate The Winter Classic
by Paul on 12/31/08 at 11:23 AM ET
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from Jeremy Mullman of Ad Age,
To promote its Jan. 1 outdoor Winter Classic game in Chicago, the league has partnered with Miner Family Vineyards, an upscale Napa winery, to produce a limited-edition red wine as a keepsake for the game. Bottles were spotted on shelves in Chicago liquor stores for about $30 a bottle. The proceeds will go to charity.
On its face, hockey wine seems a bit like opera beer. After all, watching a player pull his opponent’s jersey over his head so he can throttle him blindly doesn’t exactly seem like a Merlot-sipping occasion. But the league’s VP-consumer products marketing, Jim Haskins, said the league’s fan base is more of a wine-drinking crowd than the sport’s blue-collar stereotype suggests.
read on and buy the WC wine here along with other NHL featured wines.
Filed in: Hockey Related Stories | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Going For A Stroll On The Wrlgley Ice
by Paul on 12/31/08 at 10:16 AM ET
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from Tom Gromak of the Detroit News,
I was amazed as we emerged from the visitors’ dugout onto the ‘Frozen Confines’ of Wrigley Field. There it stood: A full-sized regulation NHL hockey rink. Oh, sure, some glass was still missing as crews worked to finish it up. But it had the key components: Boards, benches, blue lines and goalie creases—and a fresh, two-inch-thick sheet of ice....
“Please, God, don’t let me fall,” I prayed as a co-worker stood rinkside with a digital camcorder to record me for posterity (and the accompanying video).
I started slowly, but I didn’t fall. And I continued to not fall, slowly gaining confidence on blades I hadn’t worn in at least eight years. I even survived the halfway point when—to my initial dismay—we had to switch from counterclockwise skating to clockwise. “But I was getting good at this direction,” I protested.
Filed in: Hockey Related Stories | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Big Game For The NHL
by Paul on 12/30/08 at 10:20 PM ET
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from Richard Sandomir of the New York Times,
This isn’t quaint anymore. The league believes the Classic — a regular-season game played outdoors every New Year’s Day — will be a long-term annual event that separates hockey from other sports; it projects the game as a midseason ritual for its fans to root nationally, not for their local teams. Already, there is demand for future games in Philadelphia, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal and Boston…
“This is part of our new business model and gives people a sense of what we can do,” said John Collins, the league’s chief operating officer. “We introduced our Broadband player, we reintroduced NHL.com. We have 53 million fans who love the game, 22 million in the arenas and a $2.6 billion business. But it doesn’t feel as big as it should.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
A Spin On The Ice At Wrigley
by Paul on 12/30/08 at 04:14 PM ET
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from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,
Wonky knee aside, it was a thrill to hit the ice at Wrigley Field. Sure, I got a few looks for wearing a Finnish national jersey (no reason whatsoever for that, by the way); but all in all, it was a great experience.
The NHL wouldn’t allow us to hold hockey sticks or shoot pucks, understandably, but just taking a whirl around the newly built ice surface was something else. The sun was peering over home plate and the conditions were ideal. The league can only hope for similar conditions Thursday for the Winter Classic (so far, the forecast sounds pretty good).
The sun, however, could prove to be an issue. You really blinked when you made the turn at the third-base end and the sun blinded you somewhat. Some players wore eye black last season in Buffalo, and we suspect much of the same again Thursday. Tinted visors, perhaps?
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
NHL Network Schedule For Winter Classic Related Shows
by Paul on 12/30/08 at 03:45 PM ET
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Wednesday, December 31st. All times are ET.
11:30 AM- NHL Network Presents: Bridgestone Winter Classic 2009 Practice Coverage
Thursday, January 1st
11:00 AM- NHL Network Presents: Bridgestone Winter Classic 2009 Pre-Game Show
5:00 PM- NHL Network Presents: Bridgestone Winter Classic 2009 Post-Game Show
6:00 PM- Voices: Detroit’s Ken Kal
6:30 PM- Voices: Chicago’s Pat Foley
The complete schedule for the NHL Network (US) can be found here and for Canadian viewers, click here.
added 5:00pm, I just received this and as you can the times differ a bit…
Wednesday, Dec. 31
· Practice Coverage at 11:30 a.m. ET
Thursday, Jan. 1
· Pre-Game Show at 11 a.m. ET
· Post-Game Show at 4:30 p.m. ET
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Wings Looking Forward To The Winter Classic
by Paul on 12/30/08 at 03:01 PM ET
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from Bob Duff at Duffer’s Dabbles,
Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock believes the National Hockey League has struck gold with its decision to put the Wings against the Chicago Blackhawks in Wednesday’s Winter Classic outdoor hockey game at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
“The Winter Classic is a fantastic stage in a fantastic city that has a marketing opportunity for our league that is second to none,” said Babcock, whose Wings play host to Chicago Tuesday at Joe Louis Arena. “I’m not trying to take anything away from where it’s been before, but nationally, in the U.S., this has the chance to be a really nice draw and I hope that both teams live up to the opportunity that’s here.”
continued and probably the most thorough Wings side of the story regarding the WC.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Talking With Eddie ‘O”
by Paul on 12/30/08 at 10:18 AM ET
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I had the pleasure of talking with Eddie Olczyk this morning and discussed Wings/Blackhawks. Eddie will be providiing the color for the Winter Classic on NBC which starts at 1:00pm ET on January 1st.
If you wish to download the audio, just click here.
NEW YORK (December 30, 2008) – The National Hockey League (NHL) announced today that it will honor seven Chicago sports legends during a special on-field ceremony prior to the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on New Year’s Day at Wrigley Field. The salute to the sports legends, all of them Hall of Famers in their respective sports, will open the outdoor game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings (1 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, RDS, NHL Radio, XM Radio).
The Hall of Fame legends scheduled to appear include former Chicago Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg, former Cubs pitcher Ferguson Jenkins, former Cubs outfielder Billy Williams and Blackhawks greats Bobby Hull, Tony Esposito, Stan Mikita and Denis Savard.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Let’s Play Hockey
by Paul on 12/30/08 at 09:26 AM ET
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from Darren Pang at PhoenixCoyotes.com,
Several years back, I was up in the scoreboard and my duty was to change the score as the Cubs were struggling. I had to place the old tin numbers in the right spot. It was hot and muggy. It was so cool to be up there. What an experience that was.
On Jan. 1, I will see the first NHL game played at Wrigley and I can’t wait. No need for anyone up in that old scoreboard.
The Wings vs. the Hawks. The defending Champs vs. the Contender, a real legitimate contender.
Datsyuk and Zetterberg against Kane and Toews.
Outdoors. Let the temperature drop and let the game begin!
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Hello, The Wings Are Playing Too!
by Paul on 12/30/08 at 07:42 AM ET
Comments (10)
from SnapShots at Mlive,
I can only promise you two things over the next 72-or-so hours:
1. I can’t say that I’ll find every mainstream media story written about the Winter Classic II, but I’ll sure as hell try.
2. This ain’t no stinking commercial for the Chicago Blackhawks. The NHL and the Blackhawks clearly planned on “selling” the game as a statement for the resurgence of the Hawks’ franchise, and Burnside’s interview with Hawks president John McDonough and the Blackhawks website’s coverage of the preparations (including the “de-stressing” of Wrigley’s ice) indicate as much.
A clip from NBC Chicago captures an unnamed NHL employee describing the game at hand thusly: “This year we’ve got the resurgent Hawks, which are just a fantastic story...In the world of sports, for that matter, and they’re playing their arch rival, the defending Stanley Cup champions, and it’s really shaping up to be a fierce, fierce day of hockey.”
Note that the Red Wings weren’t even mentioned by name. That’s how it’s shaping up.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Craig Hoping For Perfect Weather For The Winter Classic
by Paul on 12/29/08 at 04:23 PM ET
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from the CP via TSN,
The challenge for Dan Craig, the NHL’s facilities operations manager in charge of putting down the rink and creating the ice, is to make sure the playing surface at the home of the Chicago Cubs is of NHL-calibre.
‘’What they’re going to feel underneath their feet skating will be as close to what they have for an NHL facility and that’s going to depend on the day outside,’’ Craig said....
‘We’re hoping for (-3 C) weather and then our machines just sit there in cruise because the temperature we want on the surface is (-6 C),’’ Craig said.
Inclement weather is a test for both the players and the ice. And it was a factor in last year’s game when it snowed during the game between the Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Remember you can watch as Wrigley Field gets transformed into a hockey rink. The lines are painted and the Winter Classic logo is in place at center ice.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Catch The Winter Classic Live On Your Verizon Cell Phone
by Paul on 12/29/08 at 10:06 AM ET
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BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and NEW YORK, Dec. 29 /PRNewswire/—NHL fans who don’t want to miss a single shift of the upcoming Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic(TM) 2009 on New Year’s Day can tune into the game on their wireless phones with V CAST Video from Verizon Wireless, the two companies announced today.
The Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic 2009 is the first time a major league sporting event in the United States will be shown as it happens on V CAST Video. Last year, the NHL Winter Classic, held in Buffalo, N.Y., was attended by more than 71,000 fans and millions more watched on national television across North America.
Customers with select V CAST-enabled phones can check out V CAST whenever they want for just $3.00 for 24-hour use or by signing up for the $15.00 V CAST VPak monthly subscription.
Check out Verizon Wireless for the V CAST package.
Filed in: NHL Media, NHL Video | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Like Watching Paint Dry On Ice?
by Paul on 12/28/08 at 07:01 PM ET
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If you hurry, you can watch the Winter Classic ice crew painting the ice at Wrigley. White is going down now and next would be the ice markings, including blueline, redline, etc.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
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Weather Fluctuation Won’t Stop Dan Craig
by Paul on 12/27/08 at 08:36 PM ET
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from Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune,
Preparations for the final touches of the Winter Classic hockey rink were put on hold Saturday because of heavy rain, high wind and a tornado watch in Cook County.
In a matter of a few days, Wrigley Field went from sub-zero to semi-tropical, relatively speaking, forcing a brief delay in the painting of the ice surface. But an NHL spokesman said the ice should be painted Sunday, when the temperature is expected to drop from the upper 50s to the low 30s, and the rain is expected to subside.
“We’ll go out there with the Zamboni and give it a nice little shave, be ready to paint it white [Sunday] morning,” said Dan Craig, the NHL’s facilities/operations manager. “Everything is on schedule from our side, and we’re ready to go.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Too Much Winter Classic Hype
by Paul on 12/27/08 at 07:41 PM ET
Comments (7)
from Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Tribune,
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything like the buildup for the Winter Classic, the outdoor game between the Hawks and the Red Wings to be played on New Year’s Day. I understand the goose-bump factor here: It’s very cool for an NHL game to be played in the elements and even cooler for it to be played in one of the cathedrals of baseball.
But, my goodness. You would think the pope were coming to Wrigley to announce his conversion to Scientology.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
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Wings Need To Keep Their Head Down At Wrigley
by Paul on 12/23/08 at 01:31 PM ET
Comments (1)
from Hey, Missy at the Chicago Tribune,
In particular, the Red Wings will have to navigate a particularly steep and narrow set of about 15 steps down from the tiny visitors clubhouse and make one of the longest walks in baseball to the dugout and then out to the rink. Three times. For the last portion before getting to the dugout, anyone over six feet (and with skates on, that pretty much applies to everyone), they also have to be careful not to bump their heads.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
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Winter Classic Rink Update
by Paul on 12/19/08 at 07:26 PM ET
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Well the benches, penalty box, scorers table and broadcast facilities (left and right center field wall) are up.
Dan Craig hopes to have about an inch to an inch and a half of ice ready by Monday.
Wrigley is starting to look like a hockey rink. Watch a 15 minute delayed stream here....
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
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That’s What You Get When You Drive A Foreign Zamboni
by Paul on 12/19/08 at 08:25 AM ET
Comments (1)
The Zamboni’s arrived at the Winter Classic, at least one survived.
No truth the UAW sabotaged the ramp!
Thanks to readers who sent me the link and looking around the web, looks like the video originated at Going Five Hole.
Filed in: Hockey Related Stories | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
All Patrick Kane
by Paul on 12/18/08 at 03:24 PM ET
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Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks took part in an NHL tele-conference today.
Q. Just wondering if you had been to any outside rinks to acclimatize yourself for January 1st at Wrigley.
PATRICK KANE: No, I haven’t seen any rinks around here, but you know, that day, it’s just throw it up in the air what the weather is going to be like. You don’t really know. You don’t really know what you want as a player, either.
I guess you want it to be a little cold so the ice is better and all of the ice complications are worked out. But at the same time, you don’t want it to be too windy where the wind is blowing in your face the whole game.
I’m sure it will be a cold day, but a fun day overall, so looking forward to it.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Patrick+Kane, Winter+Classic,
Build It And They Will Come
by Paul on 12/18/08 at 01:05 PM ET
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The boards are going up at Wrigley!!!
Watch now… and maybe bookmark the site to follow the progress. I am waiting for someone to bury an octopus at center ice.
Filed in: NHL Media, NHL Video | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Prices For Rooftop Tickets To Winter Classic Are Falling
by Paul on 12/17/08 at 06:51 PM ET
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from Fran Spielman of the Chicago Sun-Times,
Last month, rooftop owner Tom Gramatis told the Chicago Sun-Times that demand for rooftop tickets to the Winter Classic was “the biggest thing ever — bigger than any Cubs game” when the event was announced last summer.
But Gramatis said “the buzz” died down when the economy went south and the stock market tanked. That forced him to cut his price in half— from $400 a head to $200, including food and drink.
“There were rooftops asking $750 a head [at one time]. Some are still at $500. They’re smoking a crack pipe. They’re not gonna get it. The economy sucks. It’s also Jan. 1 at noon — not an ideal time for somebody to wake up and go to a hockey game after New Year’s Eve,” Gramatis said.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Working On The Rink
by Paul on 12/17/08 at 11:26 AM ET
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Watch (15 minute delay) as the Winter Classic rink gets built at Wrigley Field.
update 11:50am, Well, I just took a look at the webcast, and now getting a message ‘this video cannot be embedded in websites.” Then why did they give us an embed code is my question.
I am going to leave it up for a bit, just in case they decide to change their minds. In the meantime, you can watch it here.
update 7:52pm, the embedded video is working again, so you can view it here on KK.
Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Winter Classic 2008 Popular in HD Sports
by Alanah McGinley on 12/15/08 at 05:03 PM ET
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On the Electronic House list of the Top 10 Sports HD Broadcasts of 2008, the Winter Classic came in at #2:
As if the hockey gods had scheduled it, there was snow during the game—how perfect! And the icing on the cake? It came down to a shootout, and a goal by one of the best players in the NHL, Sidney Crosby. It all made for incredible HD video from NBC, not to mention the audio of players being checked into the boards and hearing the old-time organ through my surround speakers.
The whole slideshow of the Top 10 can be seen here.
_________________________
*my twitter thing can be very handy at times, which is how I owe a hat-tip to Michael DiLorenzo for tweeting this link. Thanks!
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Tags: hdtv, media, winter+classic,
Laying The Ice For The Winter Classic
by Paul on 12/14/08 at 09:13 AM ET
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from Mike Spellman of the Chicago Daily-Herald,
The trucks carrying all the equipment for the next Winter Classic are scheduled to arrive in Chicago this week. A crew of a couple dozen will unload and assemble the boards for a couple of days, clearing the way for Craig and Company to build 1 to 11/2 inches of ice before a short Christmas break. When they return, if everything goes according to plan, all that will be left to do is spruce things up and paint the ice. Even with a warmer-than-normal Christmas Day forecast, the refrigeration system can get the job done.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “You know that it’s coming and you try to prepare yourself for it, but then when everyone gets there, it’s an unbelievable feeling to see so many people enjoying such a great event.”
But Craig realizes there’s no celebrating until he gets that ice just right, which can be a tricky proposition.
“Natural ice freezes from the top down. Artificial ice freezes from the bottom up,” he said. “We want to make sure that you can’t have the top freeze before the bottom freezes.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Dan+Craig, Winter+Classic,
A Tour of Wrigley Field for the Classic
by Alanah McGinley on 12/12/08 at 12:49 PM ET
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From Dan Rosen at NHL.com:
The 200-by-85-foot rink will be situated between first and third base.
The center-ice faceoff dot will measure exactly 112 feet from home plate and 288 feet from the center field wall. The penalty boxes will be precisely 9 feet behind the pitcher’s mound.
Behind the team benches will be a 60-by-56-foot auxiliary rink constructed over the outfield grass. It will be used during the game by the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois. To the left and right of the auxiliary rink will be team logos that measure 40 feet long and 40 feet wide. Also draped on the outfield grass will be American and Canadian flags that measure 90-by-45-feet.
Update 1:28pm ET: The Hockey Show has more on the video below—
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Hockey Related Stories | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: chicago, winter+classic, wrigley+field,
You Have To Watch The Winter Classic
by Paul on 12/11/08 at 04:51 PM ET
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Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Mobile Unit Heads To Wrigley
by Paul on 12/10/08 at 11:10 PM ET
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The NHL’s mobile cooling unit departs Mobile, Alabama enroute to Wrigley Field, the home of the 2009 Winter Classic.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, NHL Media, NHL Video | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
What To Do Red Wings/Spartans Fans
by Paul on 12/08/08 at 01:58 PM ET
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Michigan State will be playing Georgia in the Capital One Bowl on January 1, 2009 at 1pm on ABC. The Wings play the Blackhawks on the same day in the Winter Classic, game time is 1pm on NBC.
What game will you watch live and what game goes to the DVR?
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Find The Logo
by Paul on 12/08/08 at 09:35 AM ET
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Canton, MA / New York, NY (December 8, 2008) – In celebration of one of the National Hockey League’s most anticipated events – the NHL Winter Classic 2009 – Reebok is offering fans an unprecedented experience through “NHL Winter Classic Reebok Lost Logo Challenge,” a unique contest for both U.S. television viewers and in-stadium attendees that challenges fans to find the NHL player who is missing the Reebok logo from his jersey.
On New Year’s Day, 2009, Reebok will give each of the more than 40,000 fans who attend the NHL Winter Classic game between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field a pair of binoculars to find the NHL player on the ice without a Reebok logo. Fans in the stands and those watching on television will have a chance to win. In-stadium contestants will be asked to enter via text or phone, while those tuning in on television will be able to enter online.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Winter Classic Is A Publicity Stunt
by Paul on 12/08/08 at 08:58 AM ET
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from Lewis Lazare of the Chicago Sun-Times,
It’s a good thing Wrigley Field is sold out for the so-called “Winter Classic” hockey match on New Year’s Day because the new television commercial from Young & Rubicam/New York intended to spark interest in the game between the Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings doesn’t spark much of anything except a big ho-hum. Hockey fans already have snapped up about 41,000 tickets to the game—which in truth is a publicity stunt more than anything else.
In case you have not seen the television commercial, you can view it here.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
