Well that was a quick turnaround. Just two years ago, the Flyers traveled to Boston to take part in the NHL’s third Winter Classic. Now, Darren Dreger of TSN is reporting – with Wayne Fish claiming to confirm – that the NHL has chosen Philadelphia to host the New York Rangers in the fifth Winter Classic.
The problem is that the Eagles are scheduled to play at Lincoln Financial Field on January 1st – if there is an NFL season – thus leaving the Linc out of possible venues. That pretty much leaves Citizens Bank Park as the location, though Franklin Field could be a darkhorse candidate.
Now, there will be some backlash as the Flyers will be the second team in two years to participate in their second Winter Classic. This is probably deserved – remember complaining about the Penguins last year? Yeah – but the Winter Classic is a money-maker for the NHL. They need ratings, and they get ratings by going to popular teams in large markets. New York and Philadelphia are two very large markets with a long history, so they only fit.
There is no official word from the NHL yet, but that will come soon enough. The NHL schedule is released in June, so wait for that. Until then, just imagine all the behind-the-scenes footage HBO could possibly show.
