Winter Classic Part II, anyone?
NHL
by MATT KRUEGER Reporter

Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby sank the hearts of all the Buffalo Sabres fans with his shootout goal on Ryan Miller in the Winter Classic Tuesday at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium. More than 70,000 fans braved the snow and cold for the first outdoor NHL game played in the United States.

Who wants a sequel?

The NHL's first outdoor game played in the United States and just the second in the history of the league came off without a hitch Tuesday at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park and signaled a possible new annual event.

Pittsburgh's 2-1 shootout win over Buffalo in the Winter Classic was exactly what the NHL wanted when it put together this game last summer. It showcased two of the great young teams in the league and came down to a one-on-one battle between two of the leagues more popular players. Unfortunately for Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller, he came up on the short end of the final shootout attempt when Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby tucked a dribbler underneath his pads for the game-winning goal.

The NHL record 71,217 fans in the stadium never sat down through the four-hour game even with several ice-maintenance delays. With the national spotlight shown directly on Buffalo and the NHL, the sport got a much-needed shot of attention.

"I thought it was an entertaining hockey game from my point of view," Miller said during the post-game press conference. "I just loved the fact that the fans were all standing up and chanting along with the music, getting into it. It was a cool experience, because everyone was so into it and so dialed in to watch the hockey game. It was kind of a party atmosphere. Everyone can interact, laugh and have a good time. That's what we feel hockey is all about, celebrate the sport, have some fun, come out and watch a good game. I think that was accomplished."

The first outdoor game, between the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens, was held in 2003 at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium. The NCAA has also hosted a pair of outdoor games with the Michigan-Michigan State game in 2001 at Spartan Stadium and the Wisconsin-Ohio State game in 2006 at Lambeau Field.

Rumors circulate that this new innovation, which serves a dose of nostalgia with every shot on goal to a time when kids played pond hockey for hours, could become a more frequent occurrence around the NHL. There's a strong possibility that the league won't wait another five years to offer the next installment.

And if those rumors are true, you won't have to look far to find willing participants. Just ask anyone in the Buffalo Sabres organization.

"It was fun," winger Jason Pominville said, adding that he loved how loud the crowd was. "Obviously, we would have liked to win the game. But if you put that aside, I think we gave a pretty good effort. The only outcome that was disappointing was that we lost the game. It was a thrill to be a part of and, hopefully, we'll be able to be part of this again."

"I think if it can generate as much interest and can stay fresh without getting dull, I think that would be good for hockey," said winger Adam Mair, who had the hit of the game when he leveled former Amherst resident Brooks Orpik to the ice with a hip check in the first period.

If the NHL follows up on the popularity of this game, which sold out in less than an hour when tickets went on sale back in September, obviously only Northern cities would be considered. None has been specifically mentioned by anyone in the league, but Detroit, Chicago, Montreal and Toronto could be considered as options.

"I think it would be great for a different city to experience it every year," center Tim Connolly said. "I think it would be great if they did it here every year. But I think overall, it was a fun event. Yeah, I'd definitely do it again. I don't think its really out there for us. I think its more for the game of hockey, the fans of this city, the fans of Pittsburgh and the fans around the country."

Preparing for an outdoor game is such a large undertaking that the league probably wouldn't offer more than one per year. It took eight days to build the rink on top of the football field and turn the home of the Buffalo Bills into the focal point for the NHL. And asking thousands of fans to sit outside in winter for several hours isn't as easy as the crowd in Buffalo made it look.

"I thought it was very good for the game," said coach Lindy Ruff, who added he'd love to do it again. "I think it really brings it back to its roots. I know there's a lot more involved than just playing an outdoor game. For most players that's where it started. It may not be the best hockey game, because of the situation, because of the weather, because of the snow, but the atmosphere was incredible."

Of course, the biggest reason for this event was to provide a fun atmosphere for the players, coaches and fans. In the end, that's exactly what the NHL got.

"It was a pretty surreal event," center Derek Roy said. "It was pretty well run. There were banners all over the place. Everything was perfect. The guys had fun, the guys had smiles on their faces. We had a good time."