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Guest Low Roller

That was a fun game with some great visuals. NBC used a lot of innovative camera angles which added a lot to the broadcast.

Can the finish be any more fixed though? Crosby scores the winning goal on a shootout... time for the conspiracy theorists to start theorizing....

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I was watching PTI the other night. They made a cool suggestion. The NHL should look at having an out door game every Sunday throughout the year. It may get old but with the amount of fans that came and the fact the NHL had it's best television ratings in a while (though still low compared to other sports) it may be worth looking in to.

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Would make it more affordable for lots of folks too. Limited markets though. I can see it in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto (where?), Ottawa, Buffalo, Boston (away from the coast somewhere) and maybe the NYC area teams. Who else could really pull it off?

Philadelphia? (Or is that considered a NYC-area team?)

Aloha,

Brad

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Philly could totally do it Brad (huge hockey town, football stadium taboot) and a Giants Stadium game could work as well but its a dream to think of a game being played at Dow's Lake. That would be a logistical nightmare. It would be facking cool though. There is no denying that. I just cant see it happening in Ottawa with the Frank Claire issues and all. Take it to the Big-O before Ottawa but dont do it if its going to alienate US fans because we all know where the business really stands.

I hope the NHL is smart and doesnt go too far, too fast. This seems like a fantastic way to get the unheady US fan back into the game. Take the time to let it properly breathe and dont oversell the product because we all know most of those outdoor games arent going to be the best showcase of the on-ice talent.

I read on Eklund (I think) that one of the biggest markets for viewership during the broadcast was in Vegas. Bettman has wanted to get in there for years and now we know why. The game was also the biggest regular season tv draw in the US in 10 years.

Kudos again NHL. A job well done.

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Who else could really pull it off?

Minnesota, Chicago, Denver, Detroit to name a few more. Pittsburgh and Columbus could probably pull it off weather-wise too.

The Vegas viewership is obviously more attributed to betting than actual interest in the game. But the NHL will take the numbers any way it can get them.

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all it takes is a day of rain and the whole idea will look dumb. and if you do it regularly it loses the 'once in a lifetime' appeal.

i dunno. it was awesome, just like it was in edmonton, but i don't think the nhl should make this a regular thing at all. keep it rare.

but then again i know shit about business.

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Guest Low Roller

The game definitely highlighted the impact that weather may have on the game. Like AD said, all it takes is a day of rain. Despite the 'facking cool' factor, I question the decision of playing a regular season game under these conditions, and if it shouldn't be more of a special attraction game in the pre-season or perhaps the All-Star game.

So who here hopes that EA Sports incorporates an outdoor game into NHL 09?

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I'd like to see it be a special attraction game as well, not a league game. If there was a fair way to figure which teams would get to participate and play it new years eve or day. Ideally anyway, the weather would be suitable given the right location.

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the All-Star game.

Bingo!

I'm not sure about that. The point of the All-Star game is to showcase skills. The weather might hinder that ability. I can see both advantages and disadvantages to that idea.

Maybe they could have a mediocore player All-Star game so that players with average to less than average skills can play. Then everyone can just say it's the ice conditions. Also more Leafs could get on the team :)

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I watched the entire game and I thought it was awesome.

(Actually I watched 4 NHL games on Jan. 1st. - an excellent way to ring in the new year!)

I'd like to see an outdoor game once a season. Of course they'll have to do it in cities that actually have a decent winter. Too bad our football stadium in Ottawa is crumbling. Otherwise it would be a perfect place for another Winter Classic.

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I thought that the changing weather conditions, ice conditions, etc. really showcased how some players can truly adapt on the fly, while others are hopeless without perfect conditions.

You often hear NHL vets talk about the whining players these days and how good they've got it with current ice and rink construction. Back in the day they'd be skating through puddles in the corners sometimes .

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