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| Date | January 1, 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Venue | Ralph Wilson Stadium | |||||||||||||||||||||
| City | Orchard Park, New York | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 71,217 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The2008 NHL Winter Classic (known via corporate sponsorship as theAMP Energy NHL Winter Classic) was anoutdoorice hockey game played in theNational Hockey League (NHL) on January 1, 2008, atRalph Wilson Stadium nearBuffalo, New York. It was the league's inauguralWinter Classic game, and was contested between thePittsburgh Penguins andBuffalo Sabres; the Penguins won, 2–1, in ashootout on a goal by captainSidney Crosby. The event was the NHL's second outdoor regular season game (following the2003 Heritage Classic inEdmonton,Alberta, Canada), and the first outdoor regular season professional ice hockey game to be played in the United States. Due to the snowy conditions, the game was at the time colloquially referred to as the "Ice Bowl" by residents of the area and Sabres' fans. The event was sponsored byAMP Energy, and was televised in the United States onNBC and in Canada onCBC andRDS.
The game, which was played at a temporary ice rink built on the football field, set an NHL attendance record of 71,217.[1] The Sabres held a Winter Classic "house party" atHSBC Arena (now KeyBank Center) during the game where another 11,000 fans saw the game shown live on the arena's video scoreboard with synched-up audio from the team's radio coverage. TheBuffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team played a pre-game at the HSBC Arena as part of the house party festivities. Buffalo Sabres anthem singer Doug Allen sangthe Canadian national anthem, as is customary at Sabres home games. Irish tenorRonan Tynan performed "God Bless America" before the game at the stadium.
The success of the event has led to subsequent outdoor hockey games being scheduled and helped establish the Winter Classic as an annual NHL tradition.
Construction of the outdoor rink began on December 24, the day after theBuffalo Bills played their last home game of the2007 NFL season.[2] It was built between the 16-yard lines of the football field,[3] under the supervision of NHL facilities operations manager Dan Craig.[4] Crew members first removed the goal posts and laid down large tarps over the field to protect it from the weather.[5] Initially, six inches (150 mm) of the nine-inch (230 mm) crown of the football field had to be leveled using styrofoam insulation. On top of the newly created flat surface, three inches (75 mm) of plywood with plastic covering were laid as a base for the necessary piping. At the same time the boards were being put in place, an inch of sand was spread amongst the piping and was then wet by a combination of hoses and timely rain so it could freeze into a rink overnight and be painted four days before the game. Another ¾ of an inch of ice was added to complete the playing surface.[6] Due to the inclement weather and lack of a rink system, Craig later stated that the fact that they were able to succeed was remarkable.[4] The NHL had created a backup plan in case the weather became unmanageable.[7]
After this experience, CommissionerGary Bettman stated that the League would like more time to prepare the site for the next outdoor game. He also wanted to ensure that not too many outdoor games are held so the event can remain special.[8] This sentiment was further echoed by hockey pundits, such asScott Burnside.[9]
The game was attended by 71,217 people, setting an NHL attendance record.[1] The former NHL record of 57,167 was set at the2003 Heritage Classic between theMontreal Canadiens andEdmonton Oilers inEdmonton, Alberta, on November 22, 2003.[10]Georges Laraque andTy Conklin are the only two players who have played in both the Heritage Classic and Winter Classic games. They both played for the Oilers and Penguins, respectively, for each game.[11] While it was the record for a professional game, it fell short of the then all-time number of 74,554, which was set in "The Cold War" between theUniversity of Michigan andMichigan State University on October 6, 2001. SabresgoaltenderRyan Miller and Penguins forwardAdam Hall both played for Michigan State in that game.[12][13]
Approximately 41,000 tickets to the game were made available to the general public, selling out within 30 minutes of their release on September 18, 2007.[14] In the face of controversy about the quickness of ticket sales, an official spokesperson for the Sabres called it "a testament to how popular the Sabres are and how many people want to be part of the event." However, many Penguins fans were left out because they did not have the opportunity to purchase tickets after they became available to the city hosting the event, and they were frustrated by the lack of exclusivity for Penguins season-ticket holders.[15] Game show hostPat Sajak attended the Winter Classic and spoke positively of his experience.[16]
The game was televised in the United States onNBC and in Canada onCBC'sHockey Night in Canada andLe Réseau des sports. The game garnered a 2.2 rating and drew 3.75 million viewers.[17] Nearly 7,000 seats at Ralph Wilson Stadium were obstructed due to television cameras for NBC's broadcast.[14] NBC announcersMike Emrick andEddie Olczyk stood on a constructed perch by the penalty boxes,.[18]Jim Hughson andCraig Simpson also announced the game from behind the penalty boxes, withGreg Millen between the benches.[19]
Prior to the start of the event, fans begantailgating in the parking lot as is customary at football games.[1][20] FormerBoston Bruins playerKraig Nienhuis attended the game and played guitar for fans in an unofficial capacity.[1] There was also an official pregame band, and a bagpipe player led players out onto the ice.[20]
Doug Allen sang the Canadian national anthem (O Canada) and Irish tenorRonan Tynan performed"God Bless America" before the game.[1] A military flyover was conducted by four UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters.[21] Singer-songwriterSam Roberts performed songs from his band's albumChemical City during the second intermission.[22]
Due to the expected inclement weather, the NHL announced that several rule changes were in effect for this game to nullify advantages to either team due to the weather conditions.[22] The teams switched ends halfway through the third period, and play was interrupted exactly at the 10:00 minute mark to allow the ice to be resurfaced.[23] In the shootout, each goaltender was permitted to choose which goal to defend, and they each chose the same goal, towards the west side of the stadium.[3] There were multiple unexpected delays during the game to scrape snow and to repair holes in the ice.[9]
If the game had been stopped early, it would have only counted as "official" after two full periods. In that case, the team in the lead would be declared the winner and earn two points. If the score was tied when the game was stopped, both teams would get one point, and a shootout would take place right away. If weather conditions made an immediate shootout impossible, it would have been rescheduled for February 17. While both teams were aware of these format changes, the NHL didn’t share them publicly until shortly before the game.[24]
The teams worevintage jerseys for the event, with the Penguins wearing powder blue jerseys for the first time since1973. The Sabres wore their old white jerseys, which they wore from1978 to1996.[25] In addition to the retro jerseys, the goaltenders also wore speciality masks designed specifically for the Winter Classic. Sabres goaltenderRyan Miller added a retro Sabres logo to his mask[26] whileTy Conklin's featured snowflakes and a Winter Classic logo.[27] Miller also alternated between three toques, which would later be auctioned off for his charity, the " Steadfast Foundation."[26] Penguins backupDany Sabourin wore a set of vintage-styled pads but did not play.[28]
Weather for the game was appropriate to the winter setting it was intended to evoke, with game-time temperatures around the freezing mark and snow falling for much of the time, especially during the third period. The weather conditions made play somewhat more difficult for players but were well received by fans.[29]
The Penguins registered 25shots on goal, and the Sabres had 37, dominating the second and overtime periods, leading those 14–2 and 7–0, respectively. Each goalie allowed one goal in playing time not including the shootout, giving Conklin 36 saves for the Penguins, and Miller 24 for the Sabres.[30]
| Scoring summary | |||||
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| Period | Team | Goal | Assist(s) | Time | Score |
| 1st | PIT | Colby Armstrong (6) | Sidney Crosby (37) | 00:21 | 1–0 PIT |
| 2nd | BUF | Brian Campbell (4) | Tim Connolly (23),Daniel Paille (11) | 01:25 | 1–1 |
| 3rd | None | ||||
| Overtime | None | ||||
| Shootout | Team | Shooter | Goaltender | Result | SO Score |
| BUF | Ales Kotalik | Ty Conklin | goal | 1–0 BUF | |
| PIT | Erik Christensen | Ryan Miller | miss | 1–0 BUF | |
| BUF | Tim Connolly | Ty Conklin | save | 1–0 BUF | |
| PIT | Kris Letang | Ryan Miller | goal | 1–1 | |
| BUF | Maxim Afinogenov | Ty Conklin | save | 1–1 | |
| PIT | Sidney Crosby | Ryan Miller | goal | 2–1 PIT | |
| Penalty summary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Team | Player | Penalty | Time | PIM |
| 1st | BUF | Tim Connolly | Hooking | 04:22 | 2:00 |
| BUF | Maxim Afinogenov | Hooking | 07:16 | 2:00 | |
| BUF | Thomas Vanek | Holding | 12:17 | 2:00 | |
| PIT | Colby Armstrong | Goaltender interference | 13:02 | 2:00 | |
| 2nd | None | ||||
| 3rd | PIT | Colby Armstrong | Hooking | 20:00 | 2:00 |
| Overtime | None | ||||
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| Three star selections | |||
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| Team | Player | Statistics | |
| 1st | PIT | Sidney Crosby | Game Winning Shootout Goal, 1 Assist |
| 2nd | PIT | Ty Conklin | 36 Saves (.973) |
| 3rd | BUF | Ryan Miller | 24 Saves (.960) |
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Due to the success of the Winter Classic and its predecessor, outdoor games have been held during subsequent seasons, and the Winter Classic has become an annual NHL tradition. Thenext Winter Classic was held on January 1, 2009, atWrigley Field inChicago, matching theDetroit Red Wings against theChicago Blackhawks.[33] Winter Classics have been held in every year since, except for 2013, which was interrupted by the2012–2013 NHL lockout.[34] TheNHL Heritage Classic, which began in2003,[35] have had six Heritage Classics since the Winter Classic. The league expanded its offerings of outdoor games with the introduction of theNHL Stadium Series in2014.[36] Since the inaugural Winter Classic, the NHL has held 34 additional outdoor games, which includes the Winter Classic, the Stadium Series, and the Heritage Classic, as well as one-off events like theCentennial Classic,NHL 100 Classic andNHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe games.[37]
42°46′26″N78°47′13″W / 42.774°N 78.787°W /42.774; -78.787
