Penguins NHL Winter Classic History

The NHL Winter Classic is one of the premier events held during the regular season. Every year since 2008, the NHL chooses two American based teams to compete in this popular sporting event. What sets the Winter Classic apart from all other games is that it is played outdoors, and teams wear retro jerseys from the team's jersey.
The first Winter Classic took place at Ralph Wilson Stadium near Buffalo, New York. This game was the highest attended NHL game with about 71,000 attending. The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres 2 to 1 in a shootout. This game was especially special because a blizzard went through New York right around game time, making it a beautiful sight to see. While it looked cool, the ice surface was difficult to play on, and caused many irregular bounces of the puck and an increased difficulty in skating for the players. The main highlight of this game was seen in the shootout when Sidney Crosby scored the game winning goal.

The fourth NHL Winter Classic took place in Pittsburgh at Heinz Field. This Winter Classic took place between the Penguins and the dreaded Washington Capitals. The Penguins would go on to lose the game 3 to 1 with the lone Penguin goal coming on a breakaway from Evgeni Malkin. This game was the first Winter Classic to be played in primetime due to the unseasonably warm weather and predicted rainstorm in Pittsburgh. During the game, Sidney Crosby received a cheap shot to the head by David Steckel which was considered to help lead to Crosby's concussion issues during the late 2011 and most of 2012 seasons.

NHL Lockout Update 10/19/12

Welcome back hockey fans to another Penguins/NHL/anything hockey update. This week, the NHL's owners proposed a plan to solve the debate over the Collective Bargaining Agreement that would offer a 50/50 split for the players and a full 82 game season that would be likely to start in the middle of November. While this sounds like an excellent deal at first, you have to look at the offer from the player's perspective. "The Player's Association proposes that owners pay what they have promised to pay." tweeted former Penguin and current New York Ranger Mike Rupp. After debates over the current contract ensued, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called the debates "a step backward". In response, many players are demanding to see how getting paid what was promised is seen as a step backward. Many players and sports analysts view the 50/50 deal as a publicity stunt to try to get opinion on the side of the owners.
"The owners' most current proposal was to reduce players salaries 12.3 percent," said Winnipeg Jets Right Winger Eric Fehr on Thursday. "Players asked me, 'How could that be fair?'"
Currently, I am starting to debate my viewpoint on this whole issue. I originally saw both sides to blame for the lockout, seeing everyone as being greedy. Now, I am beginning to see more of the player's perspective.  A 12.3% pay cut is significant. Many hockey players make less than a million dollars. This makes the NHL one of the lowest paying professional sports leagues in the country. Even as the NHL is making a huge revenue climb over the past decade, the owners are proposing that player's salaries to be cut. Also, many players suffer injuries during their career, and often find themselves unable to work after their hockey career, therefore making their salaries crucial. Because of these reasons, I have now decided to favor the players in this debate, as they are only asking for what they are promised.
Well, that is it for this week. Check in next week for more NHL news!  

NHL Lockout Update 10/2/12

Welcome back fans! As you might have guessed, the NHL lockout still isn't over. But, players continued negotiations with the NHL this afternoon in New York City for another two hours. At least we know that things are starting to head in the right direction.
While discussions continue, the NHL prospects had their annual game this week at the First Niagara Center, home of the Buffalo Sabres. Team McClanahan ended up winning this contest 5-2 against Team Housley with three major goals in the second period. This game gave many young players the ability to experience playing in an NHL atmosphere while not quite being on a professional hockey team yet.
"It was amazing, a great experience," Team Housley forward J.T. Compher said. "I've had so much fun being here. The Buffalo Sabres have been great, USA Hockey has been amazing. It means a lot knowing that young kids are going to look at this game and say, 'I want to play in the [All-American] Prospect Game, I want to be here for USA Hockey.'"
During the lockout, the coaches have managed to keep busy. Many of the Penguins' coaching staff, including head coach Dan Bylsma.
“You anticipate hockey for a long time in the summertime, getting ready for the season,” Bylsma said. “A chance to get on the ice, see these guys on the ice, work with players in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization – I get excited about that opportunity. I get excited about getting on the ice and I get excited about being a part of coaching our players.”
Finally, the Penguins organization is planning a new tournament to begin this year at the Consol Energy Center. The "Three Rivers Classic" college hockey tournament is set to take place on December 28 and 29th. The four competing teams are set to be Penn State, Ohio State, Miami of Ohio, and Robert Morris. Robert Morris, a nationally ranked hockey team, is easily a favorite for this tournament. I see them winning mainly because of their definite drive to win and overall skill on their lineup. Other teams, such as Penn State, are simply not as experienced in tournaments as this dominant Robert Morris team.
That is it for this week. Check back next week!