2011 NHL Winter Classic

1 2 3 Total Washington Capitals 0 2 1 3 Pittsburgh Penguins 0 1 0 1
Date	January 1, 2011
Venue	Heinz Field
City	Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania
Attendance	68,111
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The2011 NHL Winter Classic (known via corporate sponsorship as theBridgestone NHL Winter Classic) was anoutdoorice hockey game played in theNational Hockey League (NHL) on January 1, 2011, atHeinz Field inPittsburgh,Pennsylvania. The fourth edition of theWinter Classic, it matched theWashington Capitals against thePittsburgh Penguins; the Capitals won, 3–1. The game, rescheduled from its original 1:00 p.m.ET start time to 8:00 p.m. due to weather concerns,^[1][2] was telecast onNBC in the United States, andCBC (English) andRDS (French) inCanada. Pittsburgh nativeJackie Evancho performed theStar Spangled Banner and Pittsburgh sports legendsMario Lemieux,Franco Harris andJerome Bettis presided over the ceremonial dropping of the puck, and during the second intermission Harris and Bettis hosted a fan event at the outside rink.^[3]

The 2011 Winter Classic was the second time the Penguins participated in an outdoor NHL game; the team previously visited theBuffalo Sabres for theinaugural Winter Classic in 2008.^[4] Most notably, the Classic pitted two recentnumber-one draft picks against each other: Capitals wingerAlexander Ovechkin (2004) and Penguins centerSidney Crosby (2005); both players entered the league in the same year, 2005, due to the2004–05 NHL lockout and contributed toa rivalry between the two teams that has been growing since the early 1990s. During the game, Crosby suffered aconcussion from a collision, causing him to miss significant playing time over the next year.

At the event, the teams wore vintage uniforms based onReebok's "Edge" template. The visiting Capitals wore a replica of theirinaugural 1974–75 white uniform which they wore through the1994–95 season, with red helmets.^[5] The uniforms would remain the Capitals alternate until 2015, when they were replaced by their red counterpart.

The Penguins wore new uniforms, based on those of their inaugural 1967–68 season; the navy and baby blue colors were reversed, and the jerseys featured a crest of their original skating penguin logo, in place of the diagonal letters. The jerseys would replace the team's previous throwbacks from the 2008 Winter Classic as their alternate uniforms, but would subsequently be dubbed the "Blue Jerseys of Doom" afterSidney Crosby suffering a severeconcussion in the Winter Classic from an elbow to the head from Capitals' forwardDavid Steckel, which ended Crosby's season at the half-way mark. He played the following game against theTampa Bay Lightning but a hit from Lightning defensemanVictor Hedman took him out of the game and sidelined the rest of the season and most of the2011–12 season. The bad luck with the jersey continued, as Crosby,Evgeni Malkin, andJordan Staal all suffered injuries in other games wearing the uniforms. Three days after Crosby sustained a broken jaw wearing the blue jerseys in 2013, the uniform was permanently mothballed and the Penguins opted to wear their standard black uniforms in their remaining games they were scheduled to wear the blue jerseys.^[6]

The game had originally been scheduled for 1:00 p.m., but due to concerns about rain, on December 31 the game was shifted to an 8:00 p.m. start.^[1] A few weeks prior, the possibility was raised that the Winter Classic might be postponed or canceled altogether. All major weather outlets forecast unseasonably warm temperatures for the day of the game, with the possibility of rain. Heavy or constant rain was the greater concern for the NHL, as it could eventually make the ice surface unplayable. Light rain would have frozen on contact and made the surface uneven, while hard rain could have possibly flooded the rink. Early on the NHL had contingency plans to push the game back to January 2 if necessary, but preferred not to do so since this would have conflicted with telecasts ofNFL games. If neither date had reasonable weather, the game would have been postponed and the matchup rescheduled indoors atConsol Energy Center (now PPG Paints Arena) later in the season. New Year's Weekend was the only time theSteelers would have allowed Heinz Field to be available, since they needed time to get it ready for any postseason home game (which could have been as early as January 8);^[7] subsequent future outdoor games in Pittsburgh now would have to either be aStadium Series game at Heinz Field or either a Stadium Series or Winter Classic game atPNC Park to avoid future scheduling conflicts with the Steelers.^[8]

As New Year's Day approached weather forecasts solidified that by late afternoon the Pittsburgh region would be cooling to the 40s and eventually 30s, and major precipitation would be over by early evening for the duration of the weekend.^[9] As it turned out, the few fast-moving bands of light rain in the area had no effect on the surface, and no problems were reported.

Canadian singer and formerBarenaked Ladies frontmanSteven Page performed theCanadian national anthem in English and French whileAmerica's Got Talent runner-up andPittsburgh nativeJackie Evancho sang theAmerican national anthem. Following their performances, Pittsburgh sports legendsFranco Harris,Jerome Bettis andMario Lemieux joined U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Bradley T. Tinstman for the ceremonial puck drop.

As with the2008 and2009 games inRalph Wilson Stadium andWrigley Field, the NHL announced a rule change to account for any adverse weather conditions that could give either team an unfair advantage. Due to high winds, the teams changed sides an additional time, at the first whistle after the halfway point of the third period. This was done at exactly the halfway point of the third period in 2008 because of falling snow and again in 2009 due to high winds.

Capitals goalieSemyon Varlamov made 32 saves in the win. After a scoreless first period, the Penguins scored first early in the second period withEvgeni Malkin's goal. Washington then scored three unanswered goals, one byMike Knuble and two byEric Fehr, to win the game.^[10]

Number in parentheses represents the player's total in goals or assists to that point of the season

Washington Capitals[11] # Player Position 1 Semyon Varlamov G 4 John Erskine D 8 Alexander Ovechkin (C) LW 16 Eric Fehr RW 19 Nicklas Backstrom (A) C 21 Brooks Laich LW 22 Mike Knuble (A) RW 23 Scott Hannan D 25 Jason Chimera LW 26 Matt Hendricks LW 27 Karl Alzner D 28 Alexander Semin RW 30 Michal Neuvirth[1] G 39 Dave Steckel C 52 Mike Green D 55 Jeff Schultz D 74 John Carlson D 83 Jay Beagle RW 85 Mathieu Perreault C 90 Marcus Johansson C Head coach:Bruce Boudreau

Pittsburgh Penguins[12] # Player Position 1 Brent Johnson[2] G 3 Alex Goligoski D 4 Zbynek Michalek D 5 Deryk Engelland D 7 Paul Martin D 9 Pascal Dupuis RW 10 Mark Letestu C 11 Jordan Staal (A) C 14 Chris Kunitz LW 17 Michael Rupp C 24 Matt Cooke RW 25 Maxime Talbot LW 27 Craig Adams RW 29 Marc-Andre Fleury G 44 Brooks Orpik (A) D 45 Arron Asham LW 48 Tyler Kennedy RW 58 Kris Letang D 71 Evgeni Malkin (A) LW 87 Sidney Crosby (C) C Head coach:Dan Bylsma

^ Brent Johnson dressed for the Pittsburgh Penguins as the back-up goalie and did not enter the game.
^ Michal Neuvirth dressed for the Washington Capitals as the back-up goalie and did not enter the game.

• Washington Capitals:Tom Poti,Tyler Sloan
• Pittsburgh Penguins:Eric Godard,Chris Conner,Ben Lovejoy

• Referees —Paul Devorski,Stephen Walkom
• Linesmen — Pierre Champoux, Derek Amell

The 2011 Winter Classic was televised in the United States byNBC, and in Canada byCBC Television (English) andRéseau des sports (French). The game garnered the highest ratings in Classic history on American television and a 22 percent increase in viewership compared to the previous year, capturing a 2.3 rating and 4.5 million viewers. Overall, the game was the most watched NHL contest in the United States since 1996, and the most watched regular season NHL game since 1975.^[13] Its overall ratings boost also helped NBC win the evening as the most watched network for January 1, 2011. These marks were achieved despite the seven-hour postponement of the game, which prevented network promotion of the newad hoc 8 p.m. start time; many program guides still listed the timeslot as featuring a rerun ofLaw & Order: Los Angeles. Pittsburgh and Washington led the ratings, with Baltimore, which is part of the Capitals' territory, in third.Buffalo,New York, was the highest-rated outside market, despite aBuffalo Sabres game playing opposite the Winter Classic.^[14]

Due to the delay, CBC's regularly scheduledHockey Night in Canada game between theToronto Maple Leafs andOttawa Senators was only shown in its entirety for viewers in Ontario, with the remainder of the country breaking away for the Winter Classic at 8:00 p.m ET. CBC stations inAlberta subsequently broke away from the Winter Classic at 10:00 p.m. ET to begin coverage of theCalgary Flames/Edmonton Oilers game. CBC Sports live streamed all three games on its website.^[15]

The NHL Legends Game was played on December 31 in the morning. The game, which featured notable alumni from both the Penguins and the Capitals, was played in two 20-minute periods and ended in 5–5 tie. Penguins goals were scored byRob Brown,Rod Buskas,Craig Simpson,Jay Caufield andRon Francis.Mario Lemieux had two assists,Paul Mulvey of the Capitals had two goals, whileAlan May,Mark Lofthouse andPeter Bondra scored one each. Bondra's goal tied the game with 45 seconds remaining and the game ended in a tie, as it did not have overtime or a shootout.^[16][17]

The Penguins alumni wore the 1968–72 styled powder blue jerseys, Pittsburgh's former third jersey that was introduced in the 2008 Winter Classic. The Capitals alumni wore Washington's current home red jerseys.

Several complaints were made by the fans in attendance. Prior to the game starting, there were complaints regarding the sale of the tickets to game, which went on sale at 10:00 a.m. on December 17, 2010 for $25 a piece. Only 10,000 tickets were available for sale by the NHL, while Heinz Field has a capacity of over 68,111 seats for hockey. Many fans who tried to obtain tickets fromTicketmaster at exactly 10:00 a.m., either via the internet or by telephone could not get access to the company. Many of the locked-out fans complained that most of the people who got tickets wereticket scalpers or people trying to sell them online. By 10:14 a.m., the first two tickets showed up for sale on the Pittsburghcraigslist website for $250 a piece. Throughout the day, there were several entries oneBay and craigslist seeking as much as $699.99 for two tickets and $1,380 for a set of four.^[18]

The most vocal complaints were reserved for the time it took for many fans to get inside the stadium. Well into the first period of the two-period game, people reportedly still were entering Heinz Field. This was due to the stadium having only one open gate that morning, Gate B. Several fans further stated that not all the turnstiles were being used, a claim disputed by the Steelers, who spoke on behalf of stadium operations. Some confused fans also waited for other gates to open, which never happened.^[19]

Some spectators also complained that the game ended in a 5–5 tie with no overtime or shootout. Penguins alumnus Phil Bourque said after the game that "I think everybody's a little disappointed that we didn't get to the shootout, because it would have been great to see Mario. Pittsburgh would have gone with all Hall of Famers, of course, in our shootout group." Penguins alumni coach Eddie Johnston later stated that his shootout plan consisted of having Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis, Larry Murphy, Paul Coffey and Bryan Trottier participating in that order.^[20]

Washington Capitals # Player Position 22 Greg Adams LW 33 Don Beaupre G 12 Peter Bondra (C) RW 20 Dino Ciccarelli RW 3 Sylvain Cote D 19 John Druce RW 28 Dean Evason C 10 Alan Hangsleben D 9 Nick Kypreos LW 7 Yvon Labre D 24 Gord Lane D 18 Craig Laughlin RW 8 Mark Lofthouse RW 21 Dennis Maruk C 16 Alan May RW 27 Paul Mulvey LW 24 Robert Picard D 20 Michal Pivonka C 16 Errol Rausse LW 2 Pat Ribble D 17 Mike Ridley C -- J. R. Reich G 2 Ken Sabourin D 23 Blair Stewart C/LW 24 Scott Walker RW Coaches:Granny Grant,Joe Reekie andRod Langway

Pittsburgh Penguins # Player Position 66 Mario Lemieux (C) C 10 Ron Francis C 77 Paul Coffey D 19 Bryan Trottier C 55 Larry Murphy D 13 Bill Guerin RW 29 Phil Bourque LW 4 Rob Brown RW 7 Rod Buskas D 16 Jay Caufield RW 12 Bob Errey LW 32 Dave Hannan LW 18 Francois Leroux D 24 Troy Loney LW 12 Greg Malone C 27 Gilles Meloche G 18 Craig Simpson LW 1 Frank Pietrangelo G 23 Gary Rissling LW 22 Rick Tocchet RW 22 Gary Roberts LW 25 Kevin Stevens LW 32 Peter Taglianetti D 35 Warren Young C Coaches:Eddie Johnston,Randy Hillier andPierre Larouche. Honorary GM wasJack Riley.

HBO aired a four-part documentary chronicling the preparation of the two teams for the game as part of its award-winning sports series24/7. The first episode aired on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at 10 p.m. ET,^[21] with three additional episodes following each subsequent Wednesday. The series chronicled each team's seasons leading up to the Winter Classic, and emphasized the rivalry between Crosby and Ovechkin and between the Penguins and Capitals.

The week leading up to the Winter Classic featured a number of hockey-related events. On Thursday, December 30, 2010, theRobert Morris Colonials and theRIT Tigers men's varsity hockey teams met at theConsol Energy Center in downtown Pittsburgh for anAtlantic Hockey league match.^[22] The college game was followed that evening by anAmerican Hockey League matchup between theWilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and theHershey Bears, the top minor-league affiliates of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals, respectively.^[22]

During the first intermission,The Clarks performed near the ice.^[3]Jimmy Fallon introduced the band prior to their performance. The rock bandStyx appeared during the second intermission performing "Renegade", a fan-favorite at Steelers games.^[23][24]

• 2010–11 Pittsburgh Penguins season
• 2010–11 Washington Capitals season
• 2011 Heritage Classic
• List of outdoor ice hockey games
• List of ice hockey games with highest attendance
• Capitals–Penguins rivalry

Wikimedia Commons has media related to2011 NHL Winter Classic.

• Official Winter Classic website
• Penguins Winter Classic website
• Webcam of rink construction
• Game boxscore
• Ted Leonsis open letter to Winter Classic fans

• NHL Winter Classic
• 2010–11 NHL season
• 2011 in sports in Pennsylvania
• Pittsburgh Penguins games
• Washington Capitals games
• 2011 in Pittsburgh
• Ice hockey competitions in Pittsburgh
• January 2011 sports events in the United States

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