- Oct 24, 2008
- 25,554
- 41,891
The only Winter Classic(outdoor) game should be the All-Star Game + Skills Competition
- Thread starter RoyIsALegend
- Start date
Cold weather AND pointless competition?
You're about to see a whole new level of apathy from Kucherov.
You're about to see a whole new level of apathy from Kucherov.
Who wouldn't want to pay hundreds of dollars to sit miles away from the ice in the cold to watch a bunch of players dick around aimlessly on the ice?
If they want TV ratings they need to have better matchups in more diverse venues with more teams than a rotation of the same 5/6 teams every few years. They're probably better served thinking about it as an event that the home market appreciates and gets excited for, and tailor the event to them, rather than try to thread the needle of trying to curate better TV ratings.
Many, many more people are watching that game if its say, Oilers @ Avalanche at Mile High rather than a D- game between two non-playoff teams at a venue they've already been at. Sadly, the NHL thinks "Chicago + St. Louis people will watch! Oh shit Illinois is in a bowl game that day and the local market doesn't care because the Blackhawks stink...."
If they want TV ratings they need to have better matchups in more diverse venues with more teams than a rotation of the same 5/6 teams every few years. They're probably better served thinking about it as an event that the home market appreciates and gets excited for, and tailor the event to them, rather than try to thread the needle of trying to curate better TV ratings.
Many, many more people are watching that game if its say, Oilers @ Avalanche at Mile High rather than a D- game between two non-playoff teams at a venue they've already been at. Sadly, the NHL thinks "Chicago + St. Louis people will watch! Oh shit Illinois is in a bowl game that day and the local market doesn't care because the Blackhawks stink...."
- Jun 22, 2018
- 9,061
- 21,423
I'd like to see the Cup Final played outdoors...
In June...
On a pond...
Really bring the sport back to its roots!
In June...
On a pond...
Really bring the sport back to its roots!
qc14
Registered User
- Jul 1, 2024
- 588
- 1,016
For the millionth time -- the Winter Classic and Stadium Series games have not been about TV ratings for almost 10 years now. They are meant as celebrations for local fans and sponsors who everywhere the NHL has hosted these events (not just this BS notion of "cold" or "hockey markets") have shown up in droves and more importantly for the league spent a ton of money.
All 3 outdoor games I've attended have been some of the most fun I've ever had at sporting events period. I swear the league can do nothing right for most people.
All 3 outdoor games I've attended have been some of the most fun I've ever had at sporting events period. I swear the league can do nothing right for most people.
The Gr8 Dane
L'harceleur
- Jul 21, 2022
- 2,210
- 2,240
Eh, certainly not the worst idea I've run across here.
Skills competition would be kind of rough for the fans sitting waaay out in the bleachers, but so's the game right now so it's a wash.
If it would mean getting rid of the now incredibly common/watered down Winter Classic/Heritage Classic/Stadium Series games I'd be all for it. Unfortunately, no matter how bad those games are, those bring lots of money to the NHL so they won't ever be going away.
Skills competition would be kind of rough for the fans sitting waaay out in the bleachers, but so's the game right now so it's a wash.
If it would mean getting rid of the now incredibly common/watered down Winter Classic/Heritage Classic/Stadium Series games I'd be all for it. Unfortunately, no matter how bad those games are, those bring lots of money to the NHL so they won't ever be going away.
Reality Czech
Registered User
- Apr 17, 2017
- 6,287
- 10,187
Well, they didn't know Illinois would be in a bowl game when the game was scheduled.
Personally I enjoy watching all outdoor games, but I guess I'm just a hockey junkie. I think it looks pretty cool on TV no matter where there game is played. I'm pretty sure they schedule opponents that are geographically close so fan bases of both teams can buy tickets to the game.
But yeah, they could probably mix up the teams a bit more. As a Blues fan I don't mind seeing my team 3 times in 7 years but they should probably find some new matchups. And maybe they could sprinkle in some new locations like Lake Tahoe although they wouldn't be able to get as many fans live. Throw up some temporary stands and have games at scenic locations if people are bored with stadium games.
nucks88
Registered User
Nah I want to see the Hawks play more of them vs Zurich Lions, Latvian Junior team, Hungarian League winners, the Buffalo Bills. It's peak entertainment.
The outdoor games are a blast to be at. Both teams play in the same conditions, so that the Winter Classics are "meaningful" games makes no difference.
- Jul 30, 2016
- 3,218
- 3,513
I wouldn’t replace the winter classic with the all star game but i do think it could be great marketing for the league. Especially if they could find a way to make players actually give a shit and put in some effort. Maybe give everyone on the winning team a big bonus and factor it in with the ROI of the whole event
Definitely fair, but I think that the fact that the Blackhawks aren't good (which was foreseeable in the off season) creates more of a risk that the local market doesn't care.
I don't know jack about NCAA football. But even if the game didn't feature Illinois, how many casual Blackhawk fans might be more incentivized to flip the channel to Bowl Game X after watching their team get skull f***ed for the first 10 mins of that game? Or just not bother at all after watching them lose 4 in a row decisively leading up?
Featuring bad teams creates risk of nonchalance even in the local market. Edmonton is a rabid hockey market, but I can tell you with certainty that people wouldn't have been paying the prices they did for the Heritage Classic last year if the Oilers were destined to be a last place team.
tarheelhockey
Offside Review Specialist
I completely agree with OP.
1) People really underestimate how fun both of these events are for the host cities. Combining them into a city-takeover extravaganza would be awesome and this would be a rare NHL needle-mover in both large and small markets.
2) This would have the Christmas break and All Star break very close to each other, allowing players to actually get some meaningful rest and heal up minor injuries at mid-season. We’d probably see fewer players missing the ASG due to injuries.
I know the cool thing is to shit on anything that feels mainstream, but it’s ok to let hockey just be meaningless fun every now and then. We have the whole rest of the spring and playoffs to get super-serious about petty events.
1) People really underestimate how fun both of these events are for the host cities. Combining them into a city-takeover extravaganza would be awesome and this would be a rare NHL needle-mover in both large and small markets.
2) This would have the Christmas break and All Star break very close to each other, allowing players to actually get some meaningful rest and heal up minor injuries at mid-season. We’d probably see fewer players missing the ASG due to injuries.
I know the cool thing is to shit on anything that feels mainstream, but it’s ok to let hockey just be meaningless fun every now and then. We have the whole rest of the spring and playoffs to get super-serious about petty events.
Reality Czech
Registered User
- Apr 17, 2017
- 6,287
- 10,187
I agree with that. I've got a good, yet unrealistic idea. Set the ticket prices a lot lower so the casual fans can go. Do they really need to jack up ticket prices so much when they're able to sell over 2 times as many tickets as a usual game? Have some more public events throughout the week as well for the local community.
They definitely should have waited a few years to come back to Wrigley when the Hawks are more competitive and Bedard is in his prime. This game would be a lot more appealing in 2-5 years as opposed to now.
banks
Only got 3 of 16.
- Aug 29, 2019
- 4,005
- 5,970
It does feel like there's too many outdoor games. But I know for a fact that if I had a ticket to an outdoor game, I wouldn't be sitting there complaining that some other team was also outdoors a few weeks earlier/later in a totally different city.
Who cares if there's a few more than you'd like. Just don't watch them. I don't like country music. But the number of country music concerts doesn't bother me, because I don't know where or when they are. I don't follow them.
Who cares if there's a few more than you'd like. Just don't watch them. I don't like country music. But the number of country music concerts doesn't bother me, because I don't know where or when they are. I don't follow them.
2023FriendshipTour
Flams
Not sure why people complain about these things.. It's a big event wherever it's located and great for local economies. Seems the players generally enjoy them also.
Svechhammer
THIS is hockey?
- Jun 8, 2017
- 26,285
- 95,121
If you want it to get away from being 'boring' and 'stale', stop forcing the same small subset of about 6 teams upon us every year for it.
Yes, it gets stale when we see some combination of the Rangers, Flyers, Penguins, Blackhawks, Bruins and Red Wings in it every single year. You've completely oversaturated those markets with outdoor games, and it loses its luster when you do that. However, the times you've brought it elsewhere, the atmosphere is off the charts good.
Its not shocking that the WC this year has pathetic numbers. Chicago is a terrible team, and you had the game going up against college football playoff games. When you're not even trying to get quality in the event, can't be surprised when nobody cares to watch. The game wasn't marketable at all.
Yes, it gets stale when we see some combination of the Rangers, Flyers, Penguins, Blackhawks, Bruins and Red Wings in it every single year. You've completely oversaturated those markets with outdoor games, and it loses its luster when you do that. However, the times you've brought it elsewhere, the atmosphere is off the charts good.
Its not shocking that the WC this year has pathetic numbers. Chicago is a terrible team, and you had the game going up against college football playoff games. When you're not even trying to get quality in the event, can't be surprised when nobody cares to watch. The game wasn't marketable at all.
NyQuil
Big F$&*in Q
qc14
Registered User
- Jul 1, 2024
- 588
- 1,016
I think that people need to get in their heads that while at a macro level TV ratings and money matters at the micro level the league is still gate-driven and that owners would take what is basically the equivalent of an extra 20k tickets sold for a game over an extra 100k TV eyes 100 times out of 100.
Completely disagree with the second point as well. Having special events like the WC (or even just a bobblehead night!) is a tried and true method of boosting excitement and turnout despite poor on-ice results.
Terrible take. Winter Classic is fine. All Star Game and Skills Comp are dumb and they should just get rid of them all together.
