From a pure spectating point of view, it was not an ideal way to watch a hockey game, and the rainy third period put a little damper on the atmosphere. But everything else about the NHL’s Winter Classic in Pittsburgh on Jan. 1 was just that: classic! In prime time yet!
It was a rip-roaring, good old time featuring 68,000 hockey fans watching an old-fashioned game of “pond hockey” on top of an NFL football field that will host a Steelers playoff game in just two weeks.
I didn’t even mind that the Pens lost to the pesky Caps (We’ll get them in the playoffs when it matters most!). When Malkin scored the Pens first goal, Heinz Field erupted and the Terrible Towels were waving in mass!
These outdoor games have become all the rage lately and are witness to the growing resurgence of interest in hockey. On Dec. 11, 2010, Michigan played host to archrival Michigan State in the “The Big Chill” in the Big House and set a world record for a hockey crowd: 113,411 jammed Michigan’s football stadium to watch a college hockey game! It is the largest crowd ever to watch an event in the Big House—larger than MSU’s 74,600 who saw the “Cold War” in 2003 at Spartan Stadium and the 73,000 who watched the inaugural NHL Winter Classic in Buffalo three years ago.
To think I got my start in hockey playing on the ponds at Alcoma Country Club and on the old Duquesne Light retention pond in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania! Heck, these days you couldn’t even get on a pond to skate on private property without risking arrest. Back in the day, the Duquesne Light guys would get a kick out of watching us fall and crash into trees chasing pucks!
The whole weekend in Pittsburgh was documented on HBO’s “24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic,” which helped build up (almost a bit too much) the interest in the game. Kudos to the NHL marketing guys. You can watch episodes on the NHL Network or on NHL.com.
The weekend really got started early when we went to see Bishop Clay at the Hard Rock Café in Station Square. Check these guys out. Led by talented vocalist and guitarist Paul Benson, the group pumps out great hard rock and ballads. They have opened for KISS and Kansas and play in State College periodically.
That night, we attended the NBC party at Bossa Nova and swapped old hockey stories with former Penguins Dave Hanna and Rod Buskas and broadcasters like Steve Levy, Barry Melrose and Darren Pang.
Perhaps for me, the highlight was attending the first-ever alumni game associated with the Classic as Mario Lemieux and a whole cadre of Pens alums including Ron Francis, Kevin Stevens, Brian Trottier and Phil Bourque took on the Capitals alums. I worked for the Penguins from 1982-85, so this was a real treat. Sure, the pace was slow. But it was a fond reminder of the Pens’ history rising from a struggling franchise that survived more bankruptcies than “Crazy Eddie” to become the premier franchise in all of hockey. More Penguins merchandise and tickets are sold than any other team and its TV ratings are the highest in the league.
We also attended the NHL New Year’s Eve Bash with friends from State College and from the hockey world and got to hang out with The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore (who was there reporting live on the conditions for the event), Steelers president Art Rooney II and the NHL’s top brass. We were treated to a live performance by one of my all-time-favorite classic-rock bands, Styx, who brought the house down when it fired up “Renegade” and my personal favorite, “Come Sail Away.”
The party atmosphere outside the stadium would rival any Steelers tailgate and the atmosphere inside Heinz Field was electric.
While not the best way to watch hockey or even the best-played game by any stretch, it was pure entertainment on a grand scale and made a huge economic impact in the “City of Champions.” Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis were on hand to drop the ceremonial puck and participate in a puck-shooting contest. Alas, our PSU alum was beaten by old 36 from Notre Dame!
The Winter Classic is just one indication of hockey’s strong presence in Pennsylvania.
Next up for Pittsburgh? Hosting the NCAA’s Frozen Four in 2013. Meanwhile, Philadelphia (which boasted the Flyers’ run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals) is being considered for the 2012 Winter Classic and will host the NCAA’s Frozen Four in 2014.
The Wilkes-Barre Penguins claim a rich history in the Calder Cup Playoffs. And the Hershey Bears boast back-to-back Calder Cup championships.
The most telling example, of course, is Penn State’s intention to take ice hockey to the varsity level with a new 6,000-seat arena in 2013.
Heads up, Minnesota: Looks like Pennsylvania is the next “State of Hockey!”
