Philadelphia to host NHL Winter Classic

By Nick Tricome

The stage is set. On January 2, 2012, the Philadelphia Flyers will take on their Atlantic division rival New York Rangers in the 2012 NHL Winter Classic.

Citizens Bank Park will be home to the fifth annual outdoor game.

uwishunu.com

The Winter Classic is the NHL’s biggest event of the regular season, and the Flyers have planned festivities leading up to and following the game.

On New Years Eve (December 31, 2011), Flyers and Rangers greats will faceoff in the Alumni game. Names include the likes of John LeClair, Eric Lindros, Bobby Clarke, Bob Kelly, and Mark Howe on the Flyer’s side, and Brian Leetch, Dan Blackburn, and John Vanbiesbrouck for the Rangers.

Then on January 6, 2012, before the rink has to be disassembled, the Flyer’s AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms, will play the Hershey Bears.

HBO (Home Box Office) is giving fans an in depth look at the two teams in their mini-series entitled 24/7. The network filmed practices and interviewed players and coaches in the weeks leading up to the game.

24/7 is currently airing now.

These games provide more fans an opportunity to experience the Winter Classic, but the main event is the regular season game the day after new years.

The Rangers have never played in a Winter Classic before, but the Flyers will be having their second go at it. They were in 2010’s event at Fenway Park, where they lost to the Boston Bruins 2-1 in overtime.

So, not only do the Flyers have a home ice advantage, but they have an experience advantage as well.

usatoday.net

“The second time around I find, no matter what you do, you're definitely taking it in a little bit more, you know how special it is to get to play in a game like this,” said forward James Van Riemsdyk in an interview with NHL.com. “To have it in the city of Philadelphia will make it that much better. The fans will be going nuts. It'll be a great atmosphere before the game, seeing all the fans tailgating and getting ready for the game. Should be exciting.”

The Flyers appear to recognize the importance of this game, especially since they are the home team this time around.

Aside from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Winter Classic is the NHL’s biggest event, and it is a great honor that the league has chosen them to play, not once, but twice in this game.

Flyers fans should savor every moment of this, because odds are, Philadelphia will not be involved in the Winter Classic for a while, after this year.