Outdoor NHL Schedule Could Expand Past Winter Classic

Hockey fans hoping to secure Winter Classic tickets may eventually have more opportunities to experience outdoor NHL games. While the 2014 Winter Classic is still slated for January 1 between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, the league is discussing plans to expand its outdoor schedule in the coming years. Though no decision has been made, additional locations have already been floated around. Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts has been mentioned as another likely spot for a future outdoor game. Though the Boston Bruins have already hosted a Winter Classic Game, in 2010, the matchup at Fenway Park was very successful, and Boston continues to be one of the best hockey markets in the U.S. The question is, should the league host more than one outdoor hockey game every year?

On one hand, the Winter Classic is the marquee event of the NHL regular season. The game has sold out every stadium it has been played in so far, and hockey fans across the country tune into the game amid all the college football bowl games on New Year’s Day. With the success of the single game, the NHL could add another game and potentially double their broadcasting revenue in the process. At the same time, it would be a risk on the NHL’s part to add more outdoor games to the schedule. Part of the value in the Winter Classic is its novelty. Because it is only played once a season, intrigued TV audiences show up in large numbers, making it a very valuable to the league for advertising purposes. If the outdoor slate is expanded, viewers could become less interested in watching it, hurting the value of both games in the process. Whether or not more outdoor games are added to the NHL schedule in the future, the Winter Classic will remain a staple of the hockey season every year, and every hockey town in the country will attempt to host what has become an incredible valuable event.

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