The Winter Classic, the NHL's homage to hockey in its raw, natural outdoor form, is continuing to grow in popularity. According to the NHL, registrations for tickets to the 2010 New Year's Day game surpassed 307,000. The game will be played at Boston's Fenway Park, which has a capacity of about 40,000 for the game.
Registrations were up 25 percent from last year's contest between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks in Wrigley Field.
Even so, the game will not come close to the attendance of the first Winter Classic at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, where the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the hometown Buffalo Sabres, 2-1, before a crowd of more than 71,000 in the home of Buffalo Bills.
The '09 contest between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings drew 40,810 to Wrigley Field and saw the home team fall, 6-4.
The first Winter Classic was a bonanza for NBC Sports, capturing the biggest ratings for an NHL regular-season game in more than a decade., luring 3.75 million viewers. The Winter Classic viewership rose to 4.4 million viewers in 2009 and officials in the NHL are optimistic that the game's popularity will continue to climb.
The ramifications of the Winter Classic may reverberate off the ice as well. In July, the NHL and NBC extended their contract through the 2010-2011 season after having set several ratings milestones. Hockey should benefit from the growing interest in televised sports by people who can't afford other forms of entertainment because of the economy.
"Years ago, hockey was hot because of Bobby Orr and (Phil) Esposito," Pat Moscaritolo, head of the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, told FanHouse. "That passion for hockey never really disappeared."
Moreover, the long-running rivalry between the Bruins and the Flyers will make fans from both clubs eager to get tickets. The rivalry between the teams dates to at least the 1970s. Moscaritolo has been hit up for tickets from friends, colleagues and family members for months.
Also, there's the venue: Fenway Park is considered by fans to be one of baseball's crown jewels The Red Sox and NHL are going to capitalize on the public affection for the ballpark with a variety of activities being talked about around the Winter Classic, including ice skating, men's and women's college hockey and an old-timers game.
