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.
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