1) Put the Winter Classic on January 1st 2) Don't put 10 games the same day 3) Select interesting and different teams That's a good way to (re)start things
I don't think so. In 2025, the vast majority of sports people and even hockey fans don't care. NCAA Football Bowl is more interesting to watch on january 1st than a regular hockey game in the middle of a season !
@@MbisonBalrognah. It's not a draw any more because they're doing too many outdoor games now. It used to be a heritage classic if it was in Canada and a winter classic in the states. Now it's a whole 'stadium series' and it took away how unique it was. Go back to one or two outdoor games a year.
@@roberttractortaylor NHL needs build own dedicated arenas with retractable domes. Every game be outdoors and fans right up to glass. Atmosphere be crazy. 🤪
Yup and they think that the real fans care about "Influencers" and "Creators"
Месяц назад+14
and their quest to save a few pennies at the expense of quality instead of chasing dollars; The NHL loves to embarrass themselves chasing new fans. And they fail.
Yup and its not even working! With their blackouts, the overall indlation and economy of the states so hockey getting even more expensive, and their bad gambling ads and a bad commisioner. Makes this all make sense.
I agree completely but as business ppl what else would they do? That's completely the NFL model and it's making them a boat load of money/valuation so of course they will follow that model. That's why we get halftime shows and side stories that the average football fan couldn't care less about. It's not for the established fan, it's to bring new eyes in. NHL is just following the money/model
It made me laugh that the WC was on the 31st to not compete with anything EXCEPT every other game that day. The Kings/Devils had the 1st all to themselves 😆
@@ZePopeofDope2 The first WC was played at 1 PM, if I remember correctly. They just let the game happen not knowing what to expect, and when it turned out to be an unexpected hit, the MBA dude bros and marketing experts swarmed in and, as they always do, took over somebody else's good idea and ruined it. "Yeah, bro, we can make this a big thing, bro" and the old fossil boomers in the executive suite always fall for that shit so they took it away from the hockey people and gave it to the guys with the flow charts.
@@matthewsimonds3346 Fans are always gonna complain no matter what. The type of person who complains is gonna end up watching no matter what most of the time. The point of these type of special games is to showcase the league to people who don't watch it as much as the rest of us.
The Stadium Series really oversaturated the market with outdoor games and when you combine that factor with absurd ticket prices and the fact that the Heritage Classic doesn't get as much attention as it should, it's no surprise that people seem to have stopped caring about the outdoor NHL games altogether.
guess what though? the cost of tickets will keep raising. Generally speaking......we want the cap to go up right? how do you think they raise the cap? the league needs to make more money. how do they make more money? raising the price of tickets
Oversaturation has been an issue. The Winter Classic was the only outdoor game at the time. One per year. I think there were several years a while ago where there would be stadium series, winter classic, heritage classic, etc etc. Somewhere close to 6 outdoor games a year. The NHL did what they always do and screwed their own product by going way overboard with something the fans didn't want. No one wanted half a dozen outdoor games a year.
They only went overboard one year and that was 2014. Since then they've only done 2-4 outdoor games per season.
Месяц назад+1
new teams, new venues. 2-3 (If HC is involved) per year is fine. One in the Fall, one at NY, and one in Mid March. Thats all they have to do and the NHL can't even do that right.
Exactly. I don’t think it’s anything the NHL did. They found something interesting, kept doing it, and every year it became slightly less interesting than the previous year. Nothing wrong with that. If they just kept showing “top” NHL teams, it would get boring after 15+ years as well. If they play it every other year but it’s only 50% more watched, that’s not better either.
Maybe, and hear me out here, _MAYBE_ , the NHL should stop putting Boston, Pittsburgh, and Chicago every darn time. Also, maybe outdoors game every, say, two years, would make them an exciting feature again.
They'll argue that their marketing research and focus groups show that without those teams they can't draw the desired demographic. The problem is that when the WC started out, those were good teams. Now Chicago sucks and Pittsburgh and Boston are mediocre and boring, and the good teams play in the smaller or non-traditional markets like Florida, or in Canada, like Toronto and Edmonton.
Part of the problem is that watching outdoor hockey sucks, the ice is poor at best, the players are dealing with the weather ect. Then you add teams that are not that much of a draw. What do you expect.
NHL was trying to fast track Bedard as the next super star. He's having a 2nd year slump. The Blackhawks roster is an odd collection of aging veterans and AHL filler players.
In 2014 the winter classic was something special. They were promoting the hell out of it, there was going to be a scrimmage game between leafs and red wings legends the day before the actual game, and let’s not forget the city of Detroit had a 2 week festival leading up to and culminating into the winter classic on NYD. Now, it feels like it’s just another game on the calendar
When it’s the Blackhawks Bruins and Blues every year no matter how much the teams suck it gets old quickly. What about a McDavid vs Mackinnon winter classic. Or a leafs vs habs. Ratings would be the highest since the first one.
@@politicalbandwagon4989 I've wanted a throwback for years that's the old Nords jersey complete with the Fluer De Lis only with the C from the Colorado flag instead of the hockey stick igloo
Other than the Lake Tahoe outdoor game, the Leafs and Wings in 2014 was the last outdoor game I cared to watch. The first couple years it was very exciting, but I don't care about them now.
The NHL made the outdoor game stale because of stadium series. It is not the same. There should only be one outdoor game a year in the NHL. Other criteria for a winter classic should be; 1. Winter is associated with snow. Only have it in northern US and Canada. 2. Include Canadian teams. Toronto needs to host one. 3. Have some sort of theme. Yes it’s the winter classic but include a title with it (ie. ‘Original 6 Battle’ or ‘The Battle of Alberta’ or ‘Battle of Lake Erie’) 4. The NHL needs to promote the players more!!! 5. WC should go to neutral sites once in a while (ie. Green Bay, WI or Erie, PA) 6. Same locations like Fenway or Wrigley Field can be boring. That’s why neutral sites could work
As someone who lives within walking distance of Wrigley Field, there was no buzz around the game this year. The bar across the street from Wrigley where I watched the game, kicked everyone out at 6 to prepare for a NYE bar crawl. (seemed to common with other bars in Wrigleyville)
@@elosogonzalez8739 Definitely something that I never hear in similar tv viewership analysis, there are hundreds of thousands of televisions watching these games that are just over-the-air viewers, but it has to be a main network like NBC. Those OTA numbers will not translate to the “official” number because you are simply receiving a transmission with an antenna, so the NBC numbers in this video are conservative. I would argue a growing number of people are going to over-the-air mode. I see that the game is on TNT and that’s the end of it. I just have to listen to the game on the radio.
Definitely something that I never hear in this and similar tv viewership analysis, there are hundreds of thousands of televisions watching these games that are just over-the-air viewers, but it has to be a main network like NBC. I’ve never even heard of TNT and I definitely cannot watch TNT over the air. Those OTA numbers will not translate to the “official” number because you are simply receiving a transmission with an antenna, so the NBC numbers in this video are conservative. But that is a lot of eyes that can no longer watch it. I would argue a growing number of people are going to over-the-air mode. I see that the game is on TNT and that’s the end of it. I just have to listen to the game on the radio.
@@elosogonzalez8739 The NHL decided to give this game to the second broadcast package on TNT. If FOX won this bid, they’d be carrying it plus the Cup finals this year (odd #’d year). ABC wouldn’t be able to carry it due to College Bowls.
It reminds me of the Brickyard 400 in NASCAR. When it started in 1994, there were close to 200,000 at the Brickyard and TV ratings were sky high. By 2015 when I went, only 75,000 fans there and TV ratings were way down because it was just “another race”.
The vast majority of fans in NASCAR can point to the 2008 Brickyard 400 as the race that caused the brickyard 400 to decline in attendance. I don't know if the NHL has ever had a single event that has lead to the decline to the state the winter classic is in now. Maybe Im in the wrong in that matter and Im missing a awful winter classic that caused it to degrade the product but it feels like death by 1000 cuts. I respect the comparison of Brickyard 400 and the Winter Classic in regards to both being marquee events falling from grace. However, the vast majority of people can point to a single point in time in NASCAR and say, this is what caused the great downfall of the Brickyard 400. I think with the NHL and downfall of the winter classic, I think there are several factors that have contributed to the winter classic decline
NASCAR is a bad comparison because the whole sport has lost relevancy thanks to some amazingly poor management within the sport. Nascar died with Dale Earnhardt and "Big" Bill France.
I think you hit the nail on the head. I feel that it's a combination of having too many outdoor games, having what always seems like the same 6 teams in those outdoor games, and specifically this year, having it on New Years Eve with 12 other games, instead of having it all by itself on New Years Day like it has been
Also, we need more color vs color matchups in it. The NHL didn’t have home and road jerseys until like the 50s or something. So having color vs color would be peak
Just tired of Chicago. They have been in 5 Winter Classic and they have lost each one. I want it back on the 1st and I would love to see the Stars vs Wild in Minnesota
Been to all three Blues WCs. A few things the NHL needs to do: make it the only hockey game on that day, find a US broadcast network willing to broadcast it, and focus on the fans. The best part of the two Blues/Blackhawks games were the opposing fanbases trying to drown out each other’s cheers. At this last game you could make out some of it on the broadcast and some Blues personnel gave the fans kudos, but the national broadcast team only mentioned it in passing (which granted, is more than they usually do). I can actually understand them using the same teams over and over again because it’s the only way you know you can find enough suckers to buy the tickets. It’s overpriced, the hockey usually isn’t great, and you end up having to watch the game on the scoreboard because the sight lines are borderline nonexistent. So you have to be sure you have enough fans of whichever teams to ignore that and go anyway.
Big hit to the ratings is that it’s not on non-cable Network TV. I get why it’s on TNT from a contract perspective, but it would be watched by more people if it were on ABC instead. Also having the other NHL games on the same day hurt it as well on a non-holiday hurt it as well. (I realize you covered this too).
I was at the Winter Classic in 2014 and I remember thinking, how can the NHL top this? Now I know the magic is gone. The introductions of the Stadium Series games killed the golden goose that was outdoor games. The first NHL outdoor game between the Oilers and Habs in Edmonton was magical, the first Winter Classic was perfection, the formula worked all the way to 2014 where we saw the outdoor game die. The Winter Classic was amazing, then we had the Stadium Series games. Four of them, seven teams, three cities. Too much in too soon of a time. It was like dumping a gallon of water on an orchid. Over saturated the market and killed it.
My wife and I were two of the 105k people in Ann Arbor for the 2014 game. It was about 9°F and snowed at least six inches while we were there. We stayed two periods before deciding our toes were frozen and we’d better find heat. People were getting carted out on stretchers due to hypothermia. Because of all the snow the Zambonis were working overtime. When we attempted to fly home to CA the next day, the polar vortex had lead to the cancellation of over 2,000 flights, including ours. We were stuck in Michigan for about five extra days. Bucket list stuff. Later, the Kings and Ducks played a Stadium Series game in LA and NBC interviewed a Dodgers player, asking him his thoughts on there being hockey played there and his response amounted to, “It makes me want to play baseball”. The Ducks were dressed as traffic cones that game. There were palm trees. Kiss played. The whole thing just fell flat for me.
what is even crazier about this yeas Winter Classic, I didn't even know it was played on New Year's Eve until YOUR last video ranting about the Winter Classic being sandwiched between all the other games.
1) Stick to New Year's day 2) No Chicago for at least 10 years 3) Try new Venues and new teams. (Lambeau, Beaver Stadium, Arrowhead) 4) Have no other games on the schedule 5) Drop the Stadium Series for a while 6) Have an AHL, NCAA, Junior, Women's and Legends Game in a 3 day event 7) Consider the All-Star game Outdoors instead of Stadium Series 8) Always have it on National Television 9) Don't schedule it on the same day as Can/USA playing in Juniors 10) Canada needs to host a game. 11) Take the game to a European Football stadium. Germany or Sweden. 12) Try outlandish venues like National Mall in DC or Central Park in NYC
I think what we forget is that when the original Winter Classic was broached, it was to fill a vacuum left when College Football abandoned its traditional January 1st bowl game extravaganza. Had the NCAA stuck with the New Year's Day schedule that had gone back practically to the 1920's, of Cotton Bowl-Sugar Bowl-Rose Bowl-Orange Bowl, that ran all day and decided the national championship, and was, after the Super Bowl, the single biggest sports day of the year in the US, I doubt there ever would have been a Winter Classic. The first one was played early in the afternoon and was scheduled against basically nothing, so people who didn't ordinarily watch hockey and didn't have the traditional Cotton Bow to turn on, watched it and liked it as something new & novel. Now, if CF has gone back to playing big games on New Year's, the NHL can forget drawing against them in the US except for the hard core hockey audience. That may be enough, with the enthusiasm it will jin up in the host city and the extra revenue from souvenir and jersey sales, to make it worth while. But they can forget going back to 2008. The novelty's gone, we've already seen what Fenway Park & Wrigley Field look like for a hockey game, and the casual fan who watched in 2008 ain't coming back. Forget them and just make it a thing for hockey fans because that's all they're gonna get.
@@kingsally2864 Well, I'd rather watch the NHL than college football since I have no interest in college football, but that ain't most US sports fans. And never forget how what a factor gambling is in the popularity of college sports. Who'd watch or care about a Georgia vs. Alabama football game unless, 1. they were a student or alumnus of either of the schools, or, 2. they had a bet on the game?
@@RRaquello bro all im saying is theres a reason the daytona 500 is the weekend after the superbowl. trying to compete against businesses that dwarf you just isnt gonna work.
@@kingsally2864 Well, the Super Bowl is at night so they can still play in the afternoon. Or make it a Canada Hockey day with all the Canadian teams playing each other. In the afternoon if they don't want to go against the Super Bowl even in Canada. Also, they'll make a big deal, "150 million people watched the Super Bowl" which means, in the US, 180 million people didn't (including me, the last 10+ years). Maybe it's not as big a deal as it's made out to be.
What also helped build the excitement was the HBO 24/7 show leading up to the WC. It let fans get an inside look at the teams and get to know the players and have a vested interest.
You nailed it halfway through. Stadium series killed the buzz of the outdoor game. Prior to that it was Heritage (Canadians) and Winter Classic. Period. Now the Winter Classic is a nice-to-watch but no longer a can’t-miss
I’m so sick of the disrespect to the Dallas Stars. The second highest attended Winter Classic ever and it’s still treated as a disappointment. 20k more people than Washington & Pittsburgh and it’s still treated like a failure. Every WC since then has been half the size. ALSO the Dallas Stars made it all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2020. The SAME year as their WC. Why is that not noteworthy? People truly hate to see Dallas succeed at anything.
I hope the Dallas Stars have an outdoor game at Globe Life Field (with the roof open) in the future. Been there a couple of times and it’s an amazing venue to have one in my opinion.
The moment they started doing the stadium series, that was the beginning of the end of the Winter Classic. It should be the only outdoor game of the year and the only NHL game of the day.
Just do 2 games on one day. The heritage classic in Canada preceded by one winter classic on new years day. Plant the flag on that day and live with it.
Totally agree! The novelty is gone, especially with all the other outdoor games during the year. If the NHL is contractually obligated to stay the course, the Winter Classic will fade into obscurity before any remedy can be applied. Familiarity breeds contempt. A game that was special once, is now an afterthought.
Crazy idea to have NHL games somewhere where you can always find a game. Between blackouts, Hulu, ESPN, ESPN+, TNT, etc... Its too difficult to find hockey.
They need to stop putting the Hawks in the match-up whilst they currently. Seriously it's getting embarrassing for us being 0-5 in it. Put some other teams in it like Boston and Washington or Avs vs Wild.
Back in 2019 my friends and I were stoked to go to the winter classic at Notre Dame. We live in the Chicago area and we planned an entire day around going to the game and it was incredible. We were all excited and cared about it. This year it was in our backyard and nobody really cared that much. I think there’s a lot of reasons for it losing it’s popularity but I genuinely think it can be fixed and be better than ever
The last outside game I was truly excited about was the 2003 Montreal Edmonton Heritage classic. Jose Theodore with the tuque because of the biting cold reminded me of playing with friends at the local outside rink as a kid. Later outside games were fun until there were too many of them.
@@AnoobisSaibotis bummer. We already got that. I really think Col/Mon could draw a crowd. Have the avs do another nordique throwback. Bring in a bunch alumni from those two teams. Shib would sweet
You have to put it back on NBC on Jan 1 but you CANNOT have multiple outdoor games. It has to be the only one. But the league won’t get rid of the stadium series so it doesn’t matter
I didn’t even know the game had happened until this video As a kid it was always cool & filled with Elite teams. They should make it Playoff Teams vs other Playoff teams again
I think the scheduling is a result of low viewership less than it is a cause. What I'd do to fix the viewership is get two of the top teams in the schedule, not mid or toilet bowl teams, and then start the game at 7. Get that feeling of playing pick-up hockey after dinner in the neighborhood by having it well after sunset, get a few more lights on the ice, and really bring home the nostalgia to go with the jerseys. And with a lack of goal horn, get some coloured sparklers for both teams to go off when they score, get a sound system so there's some music, engage the crowd, have fun with a cross between nostalgia and modern hockey. Make the game the event it's supposed to be, and people will watch it.
NHL Scheduling is baffling quite often. You have a 'Winter Classic' played outdoors where fans are much farther from the action than usual. You need a telescope to watch the action. Then, a couple of months later, you have another outdoor game, The Winter Classic. Oh no, this one is called The Stadium Series Game. The problem, same setting, different name. Another issue, much more about scheduling are these 16 game days. People like Shannon and admittedly me too, who support and follow more than one team can't watch more than one of our teams because the NHL scheduled all 16 games too close together. Having everybody playing almost at the same time forces people to choose between games. Instead, of having 16 games on one day and only one game the next day, why not split up the schedule evenly so that fans can watch more than one team? As for the NHL not playing on certain days because of conflicting with other sports, that's always going to be an issue. With basketball, college and pro, and football college and pro all having their seasons at the same time as hockey, conflicting dates are going to happen. There really isn't a way to avoid that. The NHL needs to schedule its games and stop worrying about scheduling conflicts. Worry about promoting your product, instead of altering your sport to avoid competition.
They should just find a different date to play it, NFL has thanksgiving, NBA (and now lowk NFL) have Christmas, College Football has New Years, NHL needs to grab like presidents’ day or something lmaoo (or a random date at this point would be better)
The Winter Classic & NHL Outdoor Games in general need a few things to help it out: 1. One outdoor game a season (the outdoor hockey has been too watered down with (Winter Classic, Heritage Classic, Centennial, Stadium Series, Yadda Yadda) 2. It needs a great narrative! Classic Matchups (Historical), Team Rivalries ( ie. Previous Playoff or Divisional/Conference Competition, Geographical), Player Rivalries ( ie. Crosby vs Ovechkin, Player vs Player Tiffs, Top Rookie Candidates, Recently traded players) 3. Bring in history! ie Interview and showcase Alumni! Celebrate the history of the teams, city, culture, venue! Educate while entertaining! 4. Take place on a day when no other games are playing and at a time in which people can watch (a non working day or after people are done a typical working day)
My way of fixing the Winter Classic include: making it the only game on the schedule, make it at night on Jan. 1 not in the afternoon(some people might be asleep from NYE partying), experiment with new locations. This is also where expansion teams could help. Atlanta, Houston, Kansas City and others could provide nee locations to play outdoors. The NHL would love to have KC play STL at Arrowhead or Kauffman
Idea for next year: Maple Leafs play Rangers. Two original six teams that have not played each other in a Winter Classic before. Could be played in either market. Might rekindle some intrest.
I’m not a fan of either Chicago or St Louis and I nearly forgot it was coming on that day and even then I believe I fell asleep after the first period and didn’t wake up till it had been over for a couple of hours.
I think it's multiple things that have killed it. All sports need to stop letting tv dictate the schedule. Second, when they started having multiple outdoor games, it lost the luster it once had. Lastly, the teams chosen have an impact. I really believe it needs to be a once a year event. No, heritage classic or other games because you loose the awe of a super bowl type event by watering it down.
The Washington/Pittsburgh had the Oveckin and Crosby vibe. But it also had the HBO Road to the Winter Classic that is one of the best sports documentaries within that decade.
I think the overall product has gotten really boring to watch a lot of nights. Especially for fans that like physical play. If you turn on any game from 15 years ago it's night and day. I know several people who stopped watching regular season hockey and only watch the playoffs now
100% agree. Yes there was a good tilt in this year's game but there are no rivalries when 6-8 PIM occur in a game. The personalities of Barnaby/ Avery have been replaced by boring softies with no personalities. No way in heck am I sitting through 82 games to witness ~10 fights. The playoffs are only watchable because the referees put the whistles away Hockey has sucked since the 2013 bucket drop ban. I loved the sport prior to that season. Rempe mania was exciting last year but it hasn't carried into this season.
Coming from a biased fan, but Goddamn the 2014 Winter Classic was beautiful! The stadium and the setup. The vivid red vs vivid blue and both sweater designs being gorgeous. The sheer amount of snowfall lmao. The game coming down to a shootout(I hate shootouts to decide games, but it sure made this game more aesthetic).
The original Winter Classic was a great watch. Outside, snow... Now there's like 6 outdoor games... The Winter Classic just isn't the special event it once was.
I never realized how often St. Louis has been in the game until I looked up the entire history. They also completely killed the appeal of the outdoor games by having sooo many over the years. I can't remember the exact year, but one year they had like 4 or 5 outdoor games; they had the one random game at Lake Tahoe. It's no longer the spectacle is used to be because it's not "unique" anymore
I think what got people excited initially (especially if you grew up in a hockey country) was that the outdoor classic was bringing old school hockey back..something we all did as kids..that idea lasted a few outdoor classics then it became just a regular game played outside
Maybe would get some additional interest if the Winter Classic was with previous year's Cup finalists. Maybe a better idea is to have the two teams who lost in the semi-finals (conference finals), as a bit of glimpse of what the finals would have been like with those two.
These things have to be planned over a year in advance. When you have the playoffs ending in June they can't plan for a WC that will be only 6 months from then. Nice idea, but logistically it doesn't work.
I used to watch the Winter Classic every year. I looked forward to it and I loved it. Then they started adding more outdoor games every year and it took away from the excitement of having that one spectacle on New Year’s Day to savour.
Crowd was fire! The game was amazing! Second biggest crowd number. TV numbers have been diminishing across everything not named NFL since 2014 thanks to the rise of streaming services. I would say this though if the Stars play a Canadian team or an Original 6 team that number is better.
Even those recently is 2020 the winner classic was still fun to watch. It was between two teams. I’ve never played in a winter classic before in a stadium. We have never seen in a winter classic before, and it had its own defying moment with Corey Perry getting ejected and his infamous walk of shame and it still had dark Emrick and Eddie Uchu meaning it had a great crew
The streaming deals are a nice shot in the arm for NHL owners and players, but the universal decline in coverage by major networks indicates that Bettman's promotion of the NHL has actually been a dismal failure compared to the other major NA leagues (including MLS, golf, goddam pickleball, etc).
It’s not as big as Edmonton stadium and Winnipeg struggling to sell out a 15 k arena with a good team why would u think they could sell out multiple outdoor games where it could be -30 outside ???
I think one of the things and correct me if I’m wrong, is the doing away with the show that used to go along with the lead up to the game, hbo used to do a show called nhl 24/7 and it was an uncensored look at the teams leading up to the game, I remember watching as a kid seeing the coming weeks and being so hyped to watch the game, this established narratives and made it interesting, I also remember the change to the show nhl 2014 a season like no other and they did a very similar thing but was more family friendly and talked about the winter classic, first stadium series year and there was like 4 games (2 in Yankee stadium, 1 at dodger stadium and 1 at soldier field) and the Olympics all in 1 year bring back the shows and you may get a larger draw
We really need new teams playing and real storylines being focused on. Chicago vs St Louis felt unbelievably random regardless of any reason they may have for it. Chicago has had enough winter classics for a while and the Blues have had 3 now. We need new teams playing
I had heard about the change in date and forgot. I was looking forward to the winter classic and a day of hockey watching, and then the game starts while I’m at work and the next day only one game!
NBC lost the rights to NHL games, and ESPN/TNT paid a combined 625 million/year for the current NHL contract which was more than triple what NBC was paying when they held the rights ( 200 million per year). The New TV deal helped ratings in nearly every aspect but the winter classic, putting the game on TNT lost a big portion of the potential audience and counting, especially as I just saw this year's winter classic dropped below 1 million viewers.
Easy fix. The Winter Classic should be an outdoor game, held on January 1st, between the two teams that made the finals in the previous year. You promote it during the Stanley cup finals so people know it’s happening. It should also be the first and only matchup of the year between those two teams
Was at the WC for Dallas vs Nashville. Amazing experience that I’ll never forget. That being said I thought the WC was always on New Year’s Day and didn’t even know it was on till my wife mentioned something to me and I was confused and we ended up not watching it.
Put it on "free" TV, and you'll get people watching. Also, they need good teams, not particular teams. I watched every one on NBC that I was able to watch (sometimes had to work). I have seen ZERO minutes since it was taken off NBC.
Winter Classic needs to stay on New Year's Day at 1 PM every year, or 4 PM if on west coast. It's when they constantly move it to different days or times and then market it on a network like TNT that no one besides hardcore hockey fans can find it. This game needs to be on network TV like ABC since current rights are with ESPN. Can even have a streaming option on ESPN+ or Disney+, or get a partnership with Netflix to cover it around the globe. The biggest problem was created in 2015 with multiple stadium series games in unusual places, it really stole the authenticity of a Winter Classic and made it feel like just another game.
some teams got too many opportunities while other half haven't played in a single Winter Classic, I mean look at chicago, they have played in 5 winter classics, losing all 5 of them btw whereas teams like colorado, carolina, edmonton etc have yet to play in Winter classic, Stadium Series don't help the ratings either. back then it was a big thing because there was only one outdoor game played and sometimes two with Heritage Classic
@@turarosicky first Outdoor game in modern NHL history was the Montreal @ Edmonton Heritage Classic. I don’t actually understand why there’s now three different series of outdoor games. Heritage Classic (WC in Canada), Winter Classic, and stadium series?
You had this game on mixed in with 5 other NHL games, it was on NYE, you had the Canada/USA game on and people doing New Years Events. The fact it got the number it did is shocking enough that it wasn’t lower.
The winter classic was exciting when it was new. Habs v Oilers in -40C weather. My dad wasn't much of a hockey fan, but I remember watching that Habs v Oilers outdoor game with him, because it was something else. It became routine after that, it's just an outdoor game now, and I haven't watched one since, although the Habs played in one since.
It needs to be in a northern U.S. city like Boston, New York, Buffalo, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle on New Years Day and have a good matchup (Montreal-Boston, the New York teams, Toronto-Buffalo, Toronto-Detroit, Chicago vs. anybody, Seattle-Vancouver or Edmonton) to get American ratings. Or even stage it in a neutral ice border city like Niagara Falls, Windsor, the Soo or Vancouver.
I'll watch this after the Wings game, but I just had to comment on that jersey. That's my favorite jersey in NHL23, and wow, it looks even better in real life. I'm not a Pittsburgh fan, but that jersey is gorgeous!
its no longer a draw becuase they make it so hard to watch. Get rid of the blackout BS and the exclusive channels. I dont have cable and will not pay for it ever.
Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis have been in it too much. I would like ovi and Crosby having one more next year, but that’d be the only winter classic repeat I’d want.
It’s sad to see, but I felt this as I was watching the Winter Classic. When I think of winter classic, I think of that blue penguins jersey you have on, first one i watched when I was younger. Restructure would benefit the future of the winter classic.
Feels like the nhl is driving viewership away in the last few years across the board with their choices in streaming and packaging options. Most people need 3 streaming services and 6 different packages just to watch SOME of the games. It's asinine.
Bold idea: maybe don't have the Winter Classic on the same day that several other teams are playing
12 other games while trying to showcase an outdoor game.
I didn’t even realize the winter classic was on the 31st instead of the 1st.
The NHL schedule is forced onto us by other, better run sports leagues.
Yeah, why was it even on the 31st anyway? And they still scheduled one game for the 1st so it’s not like it was a league wide bye day
EXACTLY!!! The game was overshadowed by other more interesting matches
1) Put the Winter Classic on January 1st
2) Don't put 10 games the same day
3) Select interesting and different teams
That's a good way to (re)start things
and a new venue we haven't seen either.
I don't think so. In 2025, the vast majority of sports people and even hockey fans don't care. NCAA Football Bowl is more interesting to watch on january 1st than a regular hockey game in the middle of a season !
basically what vegas did last year and it BOMBMED
@@chrisbelos2834 what they did ?
@@Wes1969YT they put the winter classic on jan 1st, it was the only game of the day, they put the kraken vs stanley cup champs vegas. it bombed hard
Everyone is sick of watching Chicago in it every year and for some reason it's not broadcast on network TV, but TNT. I forgot it was on lol.
Every cold weather team should have one or two each year
@@MbisonBalrognah. It's not a draw any more because they're doing too many outdoor games now. It used to be a heritage classic if it was in Canada and a winter classic in the states. Now it's a whole 'stadium series' and it took away how unique it was. Go back to one or two outdoor games a year.
@@roberttractortaylor NHL needs build own dedicated arenas with retractable domes. Every game be outdoors and fans right up to glass. Atmosphere be crazy. 🤪
@@MbisonBalrog Mellon Arena was like that. Literally nobody cared about it and the only time I ever saw the dome open was in a Jean Claude flick
I’m sick of the NHL worship of the Chicago Bedards in general. It’s so old and the team sucks, lmao.
It feels very much like with relocation, the NHL is chasing non NHL fans and ignoring people who already watch.
Yup and they think that the real fans care about "Influencers" and "Creators"
and their quest to save a few pennies at the expense of quality instead of chasing dollars; The NHL loves to embarrass themselves chasing new fans. And they fail.
Ugh, I know..... Winnipeg gets, what, 12,000 a night? Utah is about the same. Shoulda kept those teams where they were.
Yup and its not even working!
With their blackouts, the overall indlation and economy of the states so hockey getting even more expensive, and their bad gambling ads and a bad commisioner. Makes this all make sense.
I agree completely but as business ppl what else would they do? That's completely the NFL model and it's making them a boat load of money/valuation so of course they will follow that model. That's why we get halftime shows and side stories that the average football fan couldn't care less about. It's not for the established fan, it's to bring new eyes in. NHL is just following the money/model
It made me laugh that the WC was on the 31st to not compete with anything EXCEPT every other game that day. The Kings/Devils had the 1st all to themselves 😆
That would have been a cooler winter classic over blues blackhawks. where would they play though? 😂
I know what a freaking joke
@Kcman1827 LA Galaxy's stadium, possibly?
I was so confused as to why the WC was at 5pm my time yesterday. Just another lost viewer I guess.
@@ZePopeofDope2 The first WC was played at 1 PM, if I remember correctly. They just let the game happen not knowing what to expect, and when it turned out to be an unexpected hit, the MBA dude bros and marketing experts swarmed in and, as they always do, took over somebody else's good idea and ruined it. "Yeah, bro, we can make this a big thing, bro" and the old fossil boomers in the executive suite always fall for that shit so they took it away from the hockey people and gave it to the guys with the flow charts.
They should do a Stanley Cup rematch. Both Stanley Cup finalists get rewarded a Mid-season “Classic”. That would fortify ratings.
But then you’d have fans complain that they hate both Florida and Edmonton
@@matthewsimonds3346 Fans are always gonna complain no matter what. The type of person who complains is gonna end up watching no matter what most of the time. The point of these type of special games is to showcase the league to people who don't watch it as much as the rest of us.
Better idea... move the All-Star game to that time and make it the Cup champs VS an All-Star team (just like it used to be)
Now, how far in adavnce MUST they have outdoor fields locked in for logistics reasons/ does it become site neutral?
But then they might have to let a Canadian team play, cant have that!
The Stadium Series really oversaturated the market with outdoor games and when you combine that factor with absurd ticket prices and the fact that the Heritage Classic doesn't get as much attention as it should, it's no surprise that people seem to have stopped caring about the outdoor NHL games altogether.
guess what though? the cost of tickets will keep raising. Generally speaking......we want the cap to go up right? how do you think they raise the cap? the league needs to make more money. how do they make more money? raising the price of tickets
going to a game isnt a right, its a luxury. If you cant afford that luxury.....thats not the leagues problem, thats YOUR problem.
What difference stadium or heritage ?
@@scott-w5i8h yet the leagues needs fans to attend to make money.
@@scott-w5i8h that’s a league problem lol, if you price out your market your screwed.
The stadium series killed the mystique of the WC.
Oversaturation has been an issue. The Winter Classic was the only outdoor game at the time. One per year.
I think there were several years a while ago where there would be stadium series, winter classic, heritage classic, etc etc. Somewhere close to 6 outdoor games a year. The NHL did what they always do and screwed their own product by going way overboard with something the fans didn't want. No one wanted half a dozen outdoor games a year.
Six outdoor games would be pretty cool.
@@donkeysaurusrex7881 6 outdoor games is why no one is watching them anymore. The novelty was worn off.
@@PhoenixDog2160 if we had six maybe one wouldn’t be opposite a bowl game so I could watch it
They only went overboard one year and that was 2014. Since then they've only done 2-4 outdoor games per season.
new teams, new venues. 2-3 (If HC is involved) per year is fine. One in the Fall, one at NY, and one in Mid March. Thats all they have to do and the NHL can't even do that right.
I believe this is a great example of the law of diminishing returns
Exactly. I don’t think it’s anything the NHL did. They found something interesting, kept doing it, and every year it became slightly less interesting than the previous year. Nothing wrong with that.
If they just kept showing “top” NHL teams, it would get boring after 15+ years as well. If they play it every other year but it’s only 50% more watched, that’s not better either.
Maybe, and hear me out here, _MAYBE_ , the NHL should stop putting Boston, Pittsburgh, and Chicago every darn time.
Also, maybe outdoors game every, say, two years, would make them an exciting feature again.
Yeah, even as a die hard hockey fan, those are my least favorite teams bc of that.
They'll argue that their marketing research and focus groups show that without those teams they can't draw the desired demographic. The problem is that when the WC started out, those were good teams. Now Chicago sucks and Pittsburgh and Boston are mediocre and boring, and the good teams play in the smaller or non-traditional markets like Florida, or in Canada, like Toronto and Edmonton.
Part of the problem is that watching outdoor hockey sucks, the ice is poor at best, the players are dealing with the weather ect. Then you add teams that are not that much of a draw. What do you expect.
And Detroit
NHL was trying to fast track Bedard as the next super star. He's having a 2nd year slump. The Blackhawks roster is an odd collection of aging veterans and AHL filler players.
In 2014 the winter classic was something special. They were promoting the hell out of it, there was going to be a scrimmage game between leafs and red wings legends the day before the actual game, and let’s not forget the city of Detroit had a 2 week festival leading up to and culminating into the winter classic on NYD. Now, it feels like it’s just another game on the calendar
When it’s the Blackhawks Bruins and Blues every year no matter how much the teams suck it gets old quickly. What about a McDavid vs Mackinnon winter classic. Or a leafs vs habs. Ratings would be the highest since the first one.
Leafs vs Habs would be a fun one.
No kidding. Quit making every game an Oughts game... 😏
My dream is Colorado and Montreal in Québec with nordiques jerseys.
@@thanos2588 EDM v TOR. Matthews vs McDavid. Or if Eichel still in Buffalo we get BUF v TOR in Bills Stadium. Both Fans live very close.
@@politicalbandwagon4989 I've wanted a throwback for years that's the old Nords jersey complete with the Fluer De Lis only with the C from the Colorado flag instead of the hockey stick igloo
Other than the Lake Tahoe outdoor game, the Leafs and Wings in 2014 was the last outdoor game I cared to watch. The first couple years it was very exciting, but I don't care about them now.
The NHL made the outdoor game stale because of stadium series. It is not the same.
There should only be one outdoor game a year in the NHL.
Other criteria for a winter classic should be;
1. Winter is associated with snow. Only have it in northern US and Canada.
2. Include Canadian teams. Toronto needs to host one.
3. Have some sort of theme. Yes it’s the winter classic but include a title with it (ie. ‘Original 6 Battle’ or ‘The Battle of Alberta’ or ‘Battle of Lake Erie’)
4. The NHL needs to promote the players more!!!
5. WC should go to neutral sites once in a while (ie. Green Bay, WI or Erie, PA)
6. Same locations like Fenway or Wrigley Field can be boring. That’s why neutral sites could work
As someone who lives within walking distance of Wrigley Field, there was no buzz around the game this year. The bar across the street from Wrigley where I watched the game, kicked everyone out at 6 to prepare for a NYE bar crawl. (seemed to common with other bars in Wrigleyville)
That’s crazy and alittle hilarious.
Another factor is the games were on NBC network, now on cable in the US. I refuse to pay for cable providers; Just not worth the money.
@@elosogonzalez8739 Definitely something that I never hear in similar tv viewership analysis, there are hundreds of thousands of televisions watching these games that are just over-the-air viewers, but it has to be a main network like NBC. Those OTA numbers will not translate to the “official” number because you are simply receiving a transmission with an antenna, so the NBC numbers in this video are conservative. I would argue a growing number of people are going to over-the-air mode. I see that the game is on TNT and that’s the end of it. I just have to listen to the game on the radio.
Definitely something that I never hear in this and similar tv viewership analysis, there are hundreds of thousands of televisions watching these games that are just over-the-air viewers, but it has to be a main network like NBC. I’ve never even heard of TNT and I definitely cannot watch TNT over the air. Those OTA numbers will not translate to the “official” number because you are simply receiving a transmission with an antenna, so the NBC numbers in this video are conservative. But that is a lot of eyes that can no longer watch it. I would argue a growing number of people are going to over-the-air mode. I see that the game is on TNT and that’s the end of it. I just have to listen to the game on the radio.
@@twistedangel7308 Maybe, it's me. But you have to be kidding if you claim you've never of TNT. It's been around for quite awhile.
@@elosogonzalez8739 The NHL decided to give this game to the second broadcast package on TNT. If FOX won this bid, they’d be carrying it plus the Cup finals this year (odd #’d year). ABC wouldn’t be able to carry it due to College Bowls.
It reminds me of the Brickyard 400 in NASCAR. When it started in 1994, there were close to 200,000 at the Brickyard and TV ratings were sky high. By 2015 when I went, only 75,000 fans there and TV ratings were way down because it was just “another race”.
The vast majority of fans in NASCAR can point to the 2008 Brickyard 400 as the race that caused the brickyard 400 to decline in attendance. I don't know if the NHL has ever had a single event that has lead to the decline to the state the winter classic is in now. Maybe Im in the wrong in that matter and Im missing a awful winter classic that caused it to degrade the product but it feels like death by 1000 cuts.
I respect the comparison of Brickyard 400 and the Winter Classic in regards to both being marquee events falling from grace. However, the vast majority of people can point to a single point in time in NASCAR and say, this is what caused the great downfall of the Brickyard 400. I think with the NHL and downfall of the winter classic, I think there are several factors that have contributed to the winter classic decline
NASCAR is a bad comparison because the whole sport has lost relevancy thanks to some amazingly poor management within the sport. Nascar died with Dale Earnhardt and "Big" Bill France.
Blues Cam Fowler 1000th game scores 2 goals in a game played by Historic rivals
I think you hit the nail on the head. I feel that it's a combination of having too many outdoor games, having what always seems like the same 6 teams in those outdoor games, and specifically this year, having it on New Years Eve with 12 other games, instead of having it all by itself on New Years Day like it has been
Also, we need more color vs color matchups in it. The NHL didn’t have home and road jerseys until like the 50s or something. So having color vs color would be peak
Yeah the 2014 Winter Classic looked the best.
Just tired of Chicago. They have been in 5 Winter Classic and they have lost each one. I want it back on the 1st and I would love to see the Stars vs Wild in Minnesota
Been to all three Blues WCs. A few things the NHL needs to do: make it the only hockey game on that day, find a US broadcast network willing to broadcast it, and focus on the fans. The best part of the two Blues/Blackhawks games were the opposing fanbases trying to drown out each other’s cheers. At this last game you could make out some of it on the broadcast and some Blues personnel gave the fans kudos, but the national broadcast team only mentioned it in passing (which granted, is more than they usually do).
I can actually understand them using the same teams over and over again because it’s the only way you know you can find enough suckers to buy the tickets. It’s overpriced, the hockey usually isn’t great, and you end up having to watch the game on the scoreboard because the sight lines are borderline nonexistent. So you have to be sure you have enough fans of whichever teams to ignore that and go anyway.
Big hit to the ratings is that it’s not on non-cable Network TV. I get why it’s on TNT from a contract perspective, but it would be watched by more people if it were on ABC instead. Also having the other NHL games on the same day hurt it as well on a non-holiday hurt it as well. (I realize you covered this too).
They bled the concept dry with so many outdoor games a season. Having it in warm stadiums detracted from the allure, too.
100% agree!
I disagree on the warm climate. The Dallas stars winter classic is probably the most memorable in the last 8 years.
having repeat venues and repeat teams is whats killing it
Has nothing to do with warm stadiums and more to do with oversaturation
@ there’s nothing archetypal about hockey in Texas. Outdoor games belong where it’s cold enough to freeze over.
I was at the Winter Classic in 2014 and I remember thinking, how can the NHL top this? Now I know the magic is gone. The introductions of the Stadium Series games killed the golden goose that was outdoor games. The first NHL outdoor game between the Oilers and Habs in Edmonton was magical, the first Winter Classic was perfection, the formula worked all the way to 2014 where we saw the outdoor game die. The Winter Classic was amazing, then we had the Stadium Series games. Four of them, seven teams, three cities. Too much in too soon of a time. It was like dumping a gallon of water on an orchid. Over saturated the market and killed it.
I remember that Detroit/Chicago game. Datsyuk did his magic that day with a filthy split of the defense.
My wife and I were two of the 105k people in Ann Arbor for the 2014 game. It was about 9°F and snowed at least six inches while we were there. We stayed two periods before deciding our toes were frozen and we’d better find heat. People were getting carted out on stretchers due to hypothermia. Because of all the snow the Zambonis were working overtime. When we attempted to fly home to CA the next day, the polar vortex had lead to the cancellation of over 2,000 flights, including ours. We were stuck in Michigan for about five extra days. Bucket list stuff.
Later, the Kings and Ducks played a Stadium Series game in LA and NBC interviewed a Dodgers player, asking him his thoughts on there being hockey played there and his response amounted to, “It makes me want to play baseball”. The Ducks were dressed as traffic cones that game. There were palm trees. Kiss played. The whole thing just fell flat for me.
what is even crazier about this yeas Winter Classic, I didn't even know it was played on New Year's Eve until YOUR last video ranting about the Winter Classic being sandwiched between all the other games.
1) Stick to New Year's day
2) No Chicago for at least 10 years
3) Try new Venues and new teams. (Lambeau, Beaver Stadium, Arrowhead)
4) Have no other games on the schedule
5) Drop the Stadium Series for a while
6) Have an AHL, NCAA, Junior, Women's and Legends Game in a 3 day event
7) Consider the All-Star game Outdoors instead of Stadium Series
8) Always have it on National Television
9) Don't schedule it on the same day as Can/USA playing in Juniors
10) Canada needs to host a game.
11) Take the game to a European Football stadium. Germany or Sweden.
12) Try outlandish venues like National Mall in DC or Central Park in NYC
I think what we forget is that when the original Winter Classic was broached, it was to fill a vacuum left when College Football abandoned its traditional January 1st bowl game extravaganza. Had the NCAA stuck with the New Year's Day schedule that had gone back practically to the 1920's, of Cotton Bowl-Sugar Bowl-Rose Bowl-Orange Bowl, that ran all day and decided the national championship, and was, after the Super Bowl, the single biggest sports day of the year in the US, I doubt there ever would have been a Winter Classic. The first one was played early in the afternoon and was scheduled against basically nothing, so people who didn't ordinarily watch hockey and didn't have the traditional Cotton Bow to turn on, watched it and liked it as something new & novel. Now, if CF has gone back to playing big games on New Year's, the NHL can forget drawing against them in the US except for the hard core hockey audience.
That may be enough, with the enthusiasm it will jin up in the host city and the extra revenue from souvenir and jersey sales, to make it worth while. But they can forget going back to 2008. The novelty's gone, we've already seen what Fenway Park & Wrigley Field look like for a hockey game, and the casual fan who watched in 2008 ain't coming back. Forget them and just make it a thing for hockey fans because that's all they're gonna get.
Agreed, who the hell is watching NHL right now when it's bowl season
@@kingsally2864 Well, I'd rather watch the NHL than college football since I have no interest in college football, but that ain't most US sports fans. And never forget how what a factor gambling is in the popularity of college sports. Who'd watch or care about a Georgia vs. Alabama football game unless, 1. they were a student or alumnus of either of the schools, or, 2. they had a bet on the game?
@@RRaquello bro all im saying is theres a reason the daytona 500 is the weekend after the superbowl. trying to compete against businesses that dwarf you just isnt gonna work.
@@kingsally2864 Well, the Super Bowl is at night so they can still play in the afternoon. Or make it a Canada Hockey day with all the Canadian teams playing each other. In the afternoon if they don't want to go against the Super Bowl even in Canada. Also, they'll make a big deal, "150 million people watched the Super Bowl" which means, in the US, 180 million people didn't (including me, the last 10+ years). Maybe it's not as big a deal as it's made out to be.
What also helped build the excitement was the HBO 24/7 show leading up to the WC. It let fans get an inside look at the teams and get to know the players and have a vested interest.
You nailed it halfway through. Stadium series killed the buzz of the outdoor game. Prior to that it was Heritage (Canadians) and Winter Classic. Period. Now the Winter Classic is a nice-to-watch but no longer a can’t-miss
I’m so sick of the disrespect to the Dallas Stars. The second highest attended Winter Classic ever and it’s still treated as a disappointment. 20k more people than Washington & Pittsburgh and it’s still treated like a failure. Every WC since then has been half the size. ALSO the Dallas Stars made it all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2020. The SAME year as their WC. Why is that not noteworthy? People truly hate to see Dallas succeed at anything.
Here-here-south Stars!
I loathe the cowboys. But nobody cares about your stars.
That was a great game too. And the atmosphere was top notch. I consider the Cotton Bowl WC to be a roaring success
I hope the Dallas Stars have an outdoor game at Globe Life Field (with the roof open) in the future. Been there a couple of times and it’s an amazing venue to have one in my opinion.
The moment they started doing the stadium series, that was the beginning of the end of the Winter Classic. It should be the only outdoor game of the year and the only NHL game of the day.
Just do 2 games on one day. The heritage classic in Canada preceded by one winter classic on new years day. Plant the flag on that day and live with it.
Totally agree! The novelty is gone, especially with all the other outdoor games during the year. If the NHL is contractually obligated to stay the course, the Winter Classic will fade into obscurity before any remedy can be applied. Familiarity breeds contempt. A game that was special once, is now an afterthought.
Yeah one outdoor game a year would've been beneficial instead of 3
Crazy idea to have NHL games somewhere where you can always find a game. Between blackouts, Hulu, ESPN, ESPN+, TNT, etc... Its too difficult to find hockey.
They need to stop putting the Hawks in the match-up whilst they currently. Seriously it's getting embarrassing for us being 0-5 in it. Put some other teams in it like Boston and Washington or Avs vs Wild.
Yeah, give me a fourth Bruins WC. They don't appear outdoors enough!
always thought the outdoor games should have been reserved for the original 6
Bruins have had plenty lol
No to Boston. That team has too much exposure.
Back in 2019 my friends and I were stoked to go to the winter classic at Notre Dame. We live in the Chicago area and we planned an entire day around going to the game and it was incredible. We were all excited and cared about it. This year it was in our backyard and nobody really cared that much. I think there’s a lot of reasons for it losing it’s popularity but I genuinely think it can be fixed and be better than ever
The last outside game I was truly excited about was the 2003 Montreal Edmonton Heritage classic. Jose Theodore with the tuque because of the biting cold reminded me of playing with friends at the local outside rink as a kid. Later outside games were fun until there were too many of them.
A heritage classic or Winter classic between Montréal and Colorado would be really cool
In Québec city
Montreal and Boston at Olympic Stadium is likely to happen in 2026.
The Patty Roy cup 🔥
@@AnoobisSaibotis bummer. We already got that. I really think Col/Mon could draw a crowd. Have the avs do another nordique throwback. Bring in a bunch alumni from those two teams. Shib would sweet
You have to put it back on NBC on Jan 1 but you CANNOT have multiple outdoor games. It has to be the only one. But the league won’t get rid of the stadium series so it doesn’t matter
I didn’t even know the game had happened until this video
As a kid it was always cool & filled with Elite teams. They should make it Playoff Teams vs other Playoff teams again
9:16 doesn’t help we have stadium series games. If winter classic was the only outdoor game, then it would be unique
@@conbomb4877 Exactly
This video may have received more views than the WC
Poor advertising of the event! Also putting game on a 3rd tier network!
I think the scheduling is a result of low viewership less than it is a cause. What I'd do to fix the viewership is get two of the top teams in the schedule, not mid or toilet bowl teams, and then start the game at 7. Get that feeling of playing pick-up hockey after dinner in the neighborhood by having it well after sunset, get a few more lights on the ice, and really bring home the nostalgia to go with the jerseys.
And with a lack of goal horn, get some coloured sparklers for both teams to go off when they score, get a sound system so there's some music, engage the crowd, have fun with a cross between nostalgia and modern hockey. Make the game the event it's supposed to be, and people will watch it.
NHL Scheduling is baffling quite often. You have a 'Winter Classic' played outdoors where fans are much farther from the action than usual. You need a telescope to watch the action. Then, a couple of months later, you have another outdoor game, The Winter Classic. Oh no, this one is called The Stadium Series Game. The problem, same setting, different name.
Another issue, much more about scheduling are these 16 game days. People like Shannon and admittedly me too, who support and follow more than one team can't watch more than one of our teams because the NHL scheduled all 16 games too close together. Having everybody playing almost at the same time forces people to choose between games. Instead, of having 16 games on one day and only one game the next day, why not split up the schedule evenly so that fans can watch more than one team?
As for the NHL not playing on certain days because of conflicting with other sports, that's always going to be an issue. With basketball, college and pro, and football college and pro all having their seasons at the same time as hockey, conflicting dates are going to happen. There really isn't a way to avoid that.
The NHL needs to schedule its games and stop worrying about scheduling conflicts. Worry about promoting your product, instead of altering your sport to avoid competition.
The first Winter Classic was magical!
They should just find a different date to play it, NFL has thanksgiving, NBA (and now lowk NFL) have Christmas, College Football has New Years, NHL needs to grab like presidents’ day or something lmaoo (or a random date at this point would be better)
The Winter Classic & NHL Outdoor Games in general need a few things to help it out:
1. One outdoor game a season (the outdoor hockey has been too watered down with (Winter Classic, Heritage Classic, Centennial, Stadium Series, Yadda Yadda)
2. It needs a great narrative! Classic Matchups (Historical), Team Rivalries ( ie. Previous Playoff or Divisional/Conference Competition, Geographical), Player Rivalries ( ie. Crosby vs Ovechkin, Player vs Player Tiffs, Top Rookie Candidates, Recently traded players)
3. Bring in history! ie Interview and showcase Alumni! Celebrate the history of the teams, city, culture, venue! Educate while entertaining!
4. Take place on a day when no other games are playing and at a time in which people can watch (a non working day or after people are done a typical working day)
So many great matchups they haven’t done. It baffles me they haven’t done Toronto vs Ottawa
Leafs Habs
Back on NBC with the docuseries that leads up to it!
NHL's decision to have the winter classic on new years eve at 5pm was stupid.
1 bowl game that starts at 11am est on Jan4th. And an NFL game that starts at 4:30 on Sat Jan4th. Uh a 1:00pm Winter Classic game on Sat Jan4th?
A Winter Classic at the Lincoln Memorial or Central Park would be intriguing.
Once you get past the spectacle of it, the games themselves are kind of dull more often than not.
I’ve been to three of them, including this year. It’s such a fun experience to attend in person! That’s the best way to watch them!
My way of fixing the Winter Classic include: making it the only game on the schedule, make it at night on Jan. 1 not in the afternoon(some people might be asleep from NYE partying), experiment with new locations.
This is also where expansion teams could help. Atlanta, Houston, Kansas City and others could provide nee locations to play outdoors. The NHL would love to have KC play STL at Arrowhead or Kauffman
KC sure cuz cold not ATL or Houston.
No one in KC is giving a damn about a hockey game on new years day lol
@@ZePopeofDope2I know right. The Chiefs are King around that time of the year.
Thanks as always for the Christmas videos Shannon and Yvonne. It's a true tradition now and IS APPRECIATED. GO BLUES!!!
Idea for next year: Maple Leafs play Rangers. Two original six teams that have not played each other in a Winter Classic before. Could be played in either market. Might rekindle some intrest.
if I weren't such a die hard Blues fan I don't think I would of caught it, it was at an inconvenient time of day
I’m not a fan of either Chicago or St Louis and I nearly forgot it was coming on that day and even then I believe I fell asleep after the first period and didn’t wake up till it had been over for a couple of hours.
I think it's multiple things that have killed it. All sports need to stop letting tv dictate the schedule. Second, when they started having multiple outdoor games, it lost the luster it once had. Lastly, the teams chosen have an impact. I really believe it needs to be a once a year event. No, heritage classic or other games because you loose the awe of a super bowl type event by watering it down.
The Washington/Pittsburgh had the Oveckin and Crosby vibe. But it also had the HBO Road to the Winter Classic that is one of the best sports documentaries within that decade.
Weather forcing the game to prime time also helped a lot. It was perfect!
It’s how hard it is to watch these things! Don’t have cable. Too much going on at once also.
I didn't know the game was on NYE until it was already done. Great job Gary
I think the overall product has gotten really boring to watch a lot of nights. Especially for fans that like physical play. If you turn on any game from 15 years ago it's night and day. I know several people who stopped watching regular season hockey and only watch the playoffs now
100% agree. Yes there was a good tilt in this year's game but there are no rivalries when 6-8 PIM occur in a game. The personalities of Barnaby/ Avery have been replaced by boring softies with no personalities.
No way in heck am I sitting through 82 games to witness ~10 fights. The playoffs are only watchable because the referees put the whistles away
Hockey has sucked since the 2013 bucket drop ban. I loved the sport prior to that season. Rempe mania was exciting last year but it hasn't carried into this season.
Coming from a biased fan, but Goddamn the 2014 Winter Classic was beautiful! The stadium and the setup. The vivid red vs vivid blue and both sweater designs being gorgeous. The sheer amount of snowfall lmao. The game coming down to a shootout(I hate shootouts to decide games, but it sure made this game more aesthetic).
The original Winter Classic was a great watch. Outside, snow... Now there's like 6 outdoor games... The Winter Classic just isn't the special event it once was.
My son came over New Year's Day to watch the game and found out the game was the day before. Big hockey fans and was mad we missed it.
I never realized how often St. Louis has been in the game until I looked up the entire history. They also completely killed the appeal of the outdoor games by having sooo many over the years. I can't remember the exact year, but one year they had like 4 or 5 outdoor games; they had the one random game at Lake Tahoe. It's no longer the spectacle is used to be because it's not "unique" anymore
I think what got people excited initially (especially if you grew up in a hockey country) was that the outdoor classic was bringing old school hockey back..something we all did as kids..that idea lasted a few outdoor classics then it became just a regular game played outside
Maybe would get some additional interest if the Winter Classic was with previous year's Cup finalists. Maybe a better idea is to have the two teams who lost in the semi-finals (conference finals), as a bit of glimpse of what the finals would have been like with those two.
These things have to be planned over a year in advance. When you have the playoffs ending in June they can't plan for a WC that will be only 6 months from then. Nice idea, but logistically it doesn't work.
I used to watch the Winter Classic every year. I looked forward to it and I loved it. Then they started adding more outdoor games every year and it took away from the excitement of having that one spectacle on New Year’s Day to savour.
I was at the Stars/Nashville game and it was awesome. It was a huge crowd.
Crowd was fire! The game was amazing! Second biggest crowd number. TV numbers have been diminishing across everything not named NFL since 2014 thanks to the rise of streaming services. I would say this though if the Stars play a Canadian team or an Original 6 team that number is better.
Even those recently is 2020 the winner classic was still fun to watch. It was between two teams. I’ve never played in a winter classic before in a stadium. We have never seen in a winter classic before, and it had its own defying moment with Corey Perry getting ejected and his infamous walk of shame and it still had dark Emrick and Eddie Uchu meaning it had a great crew
The streaming deals are a nice shot in the arm for NHL owners and players, but the universal decline in coverage by major networks indicates that Bettman's promotion of the NHL has actually been a dismal failure compared to the other major NA leagues (including MLS, golf, goddam pickleball, etc).
Very well stated, young man !
Honestly, Winnipeg has such a big football stadium. Why not add 1-2 outdoor games per year. People love Winter, and it's cold in Winnipeg.
Because the nhl wants Californians and Floridians to watch they don’t care about canada
It’s not as big as Edmonton stadium and Winnipeg struggling to sell out a 15 k arena with a good team why would u think they could sell out multiple outdoor games where it could be -30 outside ???
Sociable!!!!!!!
Cheap seats
Lotsa beerce
Let the Moose play the next day
Every Adult can bring a kid for free
PEG LOVES FREEEEEEE
But are they struggling this year??
I think one of the things and correct me if I’m wrong, is the doing away with the show that used to go along with the lead up to the game, hbo used to do a show called nhl 24/7 and it was an uncensored look at the teams leading up to the game, I remember watching as a kid seeing the coming weeks and being so hyped to watch the game, this established narratives and made it interesting, I also remember the change to the show nhl 2014 a season like no other and they did a very similar thing but was more family friendly and talked about the winter classic, first stadium series year and there was like 4 games (2 in Yankee stadium, 1 at dodger stadium and 1 at soldier field) and the Olympics all in 1 year bring back the shows and you may get a larger draw
We really need new teams playing and real storylines being focused on. Chicago vs St Louis felt unbelievably random regardless of any reason they may have for it. Chicago has had enough winter classics for a while and the Blues have had 3 now. We need new teams playing
I had heard about the change in date and forgot.
I was looking forward to the winter classic and a day of hockey watching, and then the game starts while I’m at work and the next day only one game!
No idea why NBC isn’t carrying this game anymore.
NBC doesn't carry ANY hockey games anymore.
NBC lost the rights to NHL games, and ESPN/TNT paid a combined 625 million/year for the current NHL contract which was more than triple what NBC was paying when they held the rights ( 200 million per year). The New TV deal helped ratings in nearly every aspect but the winter classic, putting the game on TNT lost a big portion of the potential audience and counting, especially as I just saw this year's winter classic dropped below 1 million viewers.
Wish every Canadian team had a heritage classic at home once a season. A Saturday showing would draw good numbers.
Easy fix. The Winter Classic should be an outdoor game, held on January 1st, between the two teams that made the finals in the previous year. You promote it during the Stanley cup finals so people know it’s happening. It should also be the first and only matchup of the year between those two teams
That would be too predictable and wouldnt solve the issue of repeating teams. Just in recent history Tampa would have 3 and Florida would have 2.
I know you are using that as an example but it is funny that tampa has had 1 outdoor game and the panthers have had 0@andersalstrup3077
@@andersalstrup3077 that’s true, I like the idea of having it on Jan 1 every year, though it would step on college football
@@milesbowen9433 also would really limit where you can hold it. Not a lot of places are cold enough
The wanted one in Phonix in a church parking lot
But their was not enough folding chairs in that particular churches basement
Was at the WC for Dallas vs Nashville. Amazing experience that I’ll never forget. That being said I thought the WC was always on New Year’s Day and didn’t even know it was on till my wife mentioned something to me and I was confused and we ended up not watching it.
Put it on "free" TV, and you'll get people watching. Also, they need good teams, not particular teams. I watched every one on NBC that I was able to watch (sometimes had to work). I have seen ZERO minutes since it was taken off NBC.
Winter Classic needs to stay on New Year's Day at 1 PM every year, or 4 PM if on west coast. It's when they constantly move it to different days or times and then market it on a network like TNT that no one besides hardcore hockey fans can find it. This game needs to be on network TV like ABC since current rights are with ESPN. Can even have a streaming option on ESPN+ or Disney+, or get a partnership with Netflix to cover it around the globe. The biggest problem was created in 2015 with multiple stadium series games in unusual places, it really stole the authenticity of a Winter Classic and made it feel like just another game.
Since ABC doesn't televised bowl game you may be on to something.
some teams got too many opportunities while other half haven't played in a single Winter Classic, I mean look at chicago, they have played in 5 winter classics, losing all 5 of them btw whereas teams like colorado, carolina, edmonton etc have yet to play in Winter classic, Stadium Series don't help the ratings either. back then it was a big thing because there was only one outdoor game played and sometimes two with Heritage Classic
@@turarosicky first Outdoor game in modern NHL history was the Montreal @ Edmonton Heritage Classic. I don’t actually understand why there’s now three different series of outdoor games. Heritage Classic (WC in Canada), Winter Classic, and stadium series?
You had this game on mixed in with 5 other NHL games, it was on NYE, you had the Canada/USA game on and people doing New Years Events. The fact it got the number it did is shocking enough that it wasn’t lower.
It was very poorly represented on the NHL website it's like they are hiding it.
The winter classic was exciting when it was new. Habs v Oilers in -40C weather. My dad wasn't much of a hockey fan, but I remember watching that Habs v Oilers outdoor game with him, because it was something else. It became routine after that, it's just an outdoor game now, and I haven't watched one since, although the Habs played in one since.
It needs to be in a northern U.S. city like Boston, New York, Buffalo, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle on New Years Day and have a good matchup (Montreal-Boston, the New York teams, Toronto-Buffalo, Toronto-Detroit, Chicago vs. anybody, Seattle-Vancouver or Edmonton) to get American ratings. Or even stage it in a neutral ice border city like Niagara Falls, Windsor, the Soo or Vancouver.
I'll watch this after the Wings game, but I just had to comment on that jersey. That's my favorite jersey in NHL23, and wow, it looks even better in real life. I'm not a Pittsburgh fan, but that jersey is gorgeous!
its no longer a draw becuase they make it so hard to watch. Get rid of the blackout BS and the exclusive channels. I dont have cable and will not pay for it ever.
One thing that really helped that 2011 game is that the weather pushed the game to prime time. It was perfect.
Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis have been in it too much.
I would like ovi and Crosby having one more next year, but that’d be the only winter classic repeat I’d want.
It’s sad to see, but I felt this as I was watching the Winter Classic. When I think of winter classic, I think of that blue penguins jersey you have on, first one i watched when I was younger. Restructure would benefit the future of the winter classic.
They should play it at Yankee Stadium right up to the ball drop. That would be unique.
Feels like the nhl is driving viewership away in the last few years across the board with their choices in streaming and packaging options. Most people need 3 streaming services and 6 different packages just to
watch SOME of the games. It's asinine.