NHL Winter Classic 2008
The AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic was an outdoor ice hockey game between the Buffalo Sabers and the Pittsburgh Penguins that was played on January 1, 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park , New York as part of the 2007/08 NHL season . It was the second outdoor game in the history of the National Hockey League after the Heritage Classic , which was played in 2003 between the Edmonton Oilers and Canadiens de Montréal in Edmonton. The direction of the game was confirmed by the NHL league committee on September 17, 2007. The game was the NHL's first official open-air game on US soil. The NHL officials were able to sign PepsiCo as sponsor, and they gave the event its name with their product " AMP Energy " .
Advance ticket sales and spectators
One day after the announcement, advance sales opened and ended after 30 minutes when the 41,000 available tickets were sold. The remaining cards were withheld for season ticket holders of the Buffalo Sabers and Buffalo Bills , the NHL, as well as for players of the two teams. The day before the game, after all the construction work in the stadium had been completed, the NHL gave a few more tickets on the open market.
Overall, a new one was NHL record set by 71,217 spectators, which since the Heritage Classic, which in Commonwealth Stadium of Edmonton was held, existing record was clearly surpassed by 57,167 spectators.
Rule changes
Due to the open air, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman allowed some minor rule changes in the run-up to the game so that both teams had equal opportunities in adverse conditions.
Due to the expected wind, the rules were changed in such a way that the teams switched sides again after the half of the final third, so that each team played 30 minutes on one of the two goals. In the five-minute overtime due to an even score after 60 minutes, both teams switched sides again after two and a half minutes. In the shootout , which occurs in the event of a tie after overtime, the two goalkeepers could choose the goal to be defended themselves.
reporting
The game was televised in the United States by NBC . In Canada , CBC and RDS held the broadcast rights. The game could also be received via the NHL's own, paid NHL Center Ice Online . Westwood One was responsible for radio coverage in the United States and Canada. The game could be heard worldwide on XM satellite radio .
The day before the game, a special lasting several hours was broadcast showing the teams during training on the ice surface.
Athletic starting position
The Pittsburgh Penguins had already played 38 of the 82 season games before the game. With 20 wins, 16 losses and two overtime losses, they were fourth in the Atlantic Division with 42 points , but only three points behind the New Jersey Devils , who were in first place. The Buffalo Sabers were also fourth in the Northeast Division with 40 points from 37 games, but already 14 points behind the Ottawa Senators . They had an identical record in one win less than Pittsburgh. In the course of the season, the teams had previously met, with Pittsburgh defeating Buffalo 2-0 on December 29, 2007. In the standings of the Eastern Conference , Pittsburgh was seventh and Buffalo tenth.
Four players already had experience of official games in the open air. Georges Laraque and goalkeeper Ty Conklin of the Pittsburgh Penguins stood on the ice for the Edmonton Oilers at the 2003 Heritage Classic. Buffalo's goalkeeper Ryan Miller and Pittsburgh's Adam Hall also played during their time at Michigan State University in 2001 as part of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association season at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing against state rivals University of Michigan . A world record was set with 74,554 spectators.
Course of the game
The game started at 1:20 p.m. local time with a temperature of −1 ° C, light north winds and snowfall, with both teams wearing old shirt designs from the 1970s and 1980s. The Buffalo Sabers wore their traditional white uniform with their old dark blue logo depicting an attacking buffalo over two crossed sabers. In this they had accumulated in the seasons between 1978/79 and 1995/96 . The away team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, played in their light blue jerseys, with which they competed in the league between 1968/69 and 1972/73 . It was the first time since 1980 that the Penguins wore these jerseys. The two goalkeepers Ryan Miller and Ty Conklin also followed this retro look and wore color-matched masks and protectors.
| January 1, 2008 1:00 p.m. |
Pittsburgh Penguins C. Armstrong ( S. Crosby ) (0:21) S. Crosby ( SO ) |
2: 1 n.P. (1: 0, 0: 1, 0: 0, 0: 0, 1: 0) |
 Buffalo Sabers B. Campbell ( T. Connolly , D. Paille ) (21:25) |
Ralph Wilson Stadium , Orchard Park |
After just 21 seconds in the first third, the Pittsburgh Penguins took the lead through Colby Armstrong , who was able to overcome goalkeeper Ryan Miller after a pass from Sidney Crosby Buffalo's goalkeeper. Buffalo subsequently found it difficult to come into play and weakened itself through several penalties that resulted in power play situations for the Penguins. However, Pittsburgh could not use the almost five minutes outnumbered game in the first round to increase the score. Due to the snowfall, there were repeated interruptions in the course of the first third so that the ice could be cleared of snow. Pittsburgh's bad exploitation of chances retaliated after 1:25 minutes in the second period when defender Brian Campbell was able to equalize the game after a pass from Tim Connolly . In the meantime it had stopped snowing and the teams acted more cautiously than in the first third. Also in the third and final third, which was interrupted by a long break after ten minutes when the ice was cleared of the snow that had set in again, both teams largely equalized and limited themselves to a very physical game. It wasn't until five minutes before the end of regular time that the Pittsburgh Penguins noticeably increased the pressure on Buffalo's defense, which had to survive some dicey situations, but also gave good opportunities to shoot shortly before the end of the game. The equal score after 60 minutes was followed by a five-minute overtime , in which the Penguins had to deny the first two minutes due to a penalty they received at the end of the final third. Despite good opportunities for Buffalo, Pittsburgh survived the two minutes and saved themselves in the shootout . Buffalo's Aleš Kotalík converted the first penalty . After Erik Christensen missed for Pittsburgh and Tim Connolly for Buffalo, Kristopher Letang equalized the game. The last Sabers shooter Maxim Afinogenow was also unable to overcome Ty Conklin, so Sidney Crosby finally brought victory for his team in the last attempt for Pittsburgh.
Effects
After the success of the NHL Winter Classic 2008, the leaders of the league announced that they would also organize an open-air winter classic in the 2008/09 season . The game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings was played on January 1, 2009 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, which holds 41,118 spectators .
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Sabers and Penguins to Play Outdoors on New Year's Day. In: marketwired.com. September 17, 2007, accessed March 24, 2018 .
- ↑ sabres.nhl.com, Winter Classic Tickets Soldout
- ↑ nhl.com, Additional AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic tickets available
- ^ Associated Press: NHL makes slight rule change for outdoor game. In: espn.com. December 29, 2007, accessed March 24, 2018 .
- ↑ nhl.com, Ty Conklin gets first shutout in nearly two years, Pens beat Sabers 2-0
- ↑ nhl.com, Sabers' Miller experienced in outdoor games
- ↑ nhl.com, Recent outdoor games
- ↑ Sabers, Penguins fans arrive early, soak in experience of Winter Classic. In: nhl.com. Retrieved March 24, 2018 .
- ↑ sabres.nhl.com, Sabers and Penguins to sport retro look outdoors
- ↑ nhl.com, Crosby's shootout shot provides frozen moment in time for Penguins
- ^ Blackhawks, Red Wings Meet In The Great Outdoors. In: nhl.com. Retrieved March 24, 2018 .
