The hottest event of the winter is coming to Philadelphia. The 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic will be played on January 2, 2012 at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia. Bitter rivals square off as the New York Rangers battle the Philadelphia Flyers. The Winter Classic has become an event like the Super Bowl. Cities will put bids out to the NHL. The winning city is chosen and announcement of the host is made. This selection is similar to how the NFL chooses a host city for the Super Bowl. The fifth installment of the Winter Classic is sure to be a classic affair.
The NHL Winter Classic is more of an attraction than the NHL All Star Game. Teams want to be in this game, and the fans want to attend the game. Not only will there be the actual game between the Flyers and Rangers on Monday January 2, 2012, but an alumni game as well. The Winter Classic sets the stage for hockey outdoors for the rest of the week in Philadelphia.
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The Rangers and Flyers held a press conference to finally announce the game back on September 26, 2011 at Citizens Bank Ballpark. The Rangers and Flyers have a storied rivalry.
Add fuel to this burning fire was Rangers General Manager Glen Sather when he said, “We’re going to come to Philadelphia and we are going to win.” The fans in attendance made sure Sather knew they were not happy with his comments. Sather went on to say he respected the fans of Philadelphia, but “I’m sorry we kicked the hell out of you twice in the Stanley Cup and we are going to do the same on the second.”
As Sather exited, Flyers Owner Ed Snider came up to the microphone. Snider would go on to say: ‘we kicked the hell out of you in two Stanley Cups,’ Sather was not referring to the Rangers. Snider would add, “I remember kicking the hell out of the Rangers on the way to our Cups.” The Flyers had won two Stanley Cups in 1975 and 1976. Sather was then coach of the Oilers in 1985 and 1987, which beat the Flyers for the Stanley Cup.
HBO will be in the mix again as 24/7: Road to the NHL Winter Classic will be back for a second season. HBO will be taking the fans behind the scenes as the Rangers and Flyers get ready for their battle on the second of January. HBO was successful last year with this program as fans were treated to never before seen footage. Too bad 24/7 cameras were not there for the Glen Sather-Ed Snider faceoff.
The Rangers and Flyers are the closest rivals to play in the Winter Classic so far. In total the teams have played 261 regular season games and they have faced each other 10 times in the playoffs. While the game is on January 2, 2012 is not just another regular season game between the Flyers and Rangers. The game will be turned into an event. The team that handles the pressure the best will be victorious. Tickets are on sale now and are going fast