Sun Expected to Shine on Today’s Winter Classic

Good morning and Happy New Year! We hope you all had a great holiday and are excited for all that 2023 has in store. 🎉

Last year the NHL played the Winter Classic in the coldest temperature in the event’s history. Today, the NHL could play the Winter Classic in some of the warmest conditions the game has known.

Accuweather.com forecasts temperatures to be 51 degrees today when the Boston Bruins host the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Winter Classic at Fenway Park.

NHL senior director of facilities and hockey operations Derek King told NHL.com the league has made preparations for the warmer temperatures and he doesn’t foresee a need to push the start time later than the scheduled 2 p.m.

The 2020 Winter Classic between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars had a temperature of 54 degrees at the Cotton Bowl. Last year’s Winter Classic game, between the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild, played at the Minnesota Twins’ Target Field, was the coldest at -5.7 degrees. The Blues won that game, 6-4.

The first Winter Classic was played in 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium, the home of the Buffalo Bills. It became an instant classic when the snow began to fall, creating a snow globe effect.

As word spread that the game was being played in a snowstorm, fans began turning in. At that point, it became the highest rated televised hockey game in 33 years.

Since 2008, the NHL has learned to deal with anything Mother Nature can dish out. The NHL has already made adjustments to the ice thickness in anticipation of the higher temperature.

Historic Fenway Park is the first venue to host a Winter Classic twice. The Boston Red Sox ballpark was the site for the 2010 game won by the Bruins 2-1 over the Philadelphia Flyers. The temperature of the game was 39 degrees.

The Bruins and Penguins have been frequent participants in the Winter Classic. This will be the fourth Winter Classic for the Bruins and third for the Penguins.

It’s an important game for both teams: The Penguins are trying to hang onto a Metropolitan Division playoff spot and the Bruins are trying to preserve a streak of not losing a game in regulation in Boston this season. They are 18-0-3 in Boston.

TRIVIA: What two players are tied for the most "outdoor points" in NHL history?

🎩 Alex Ovechkin recorded his 30th career hat trick on New Years Eve. Ovi was near unstoppable Saturday night, scoring on three of his 5 shots on goal against the Habs in a 9-2 shellacking (and then took a photo with the Habs' moms afterwards 🫢). Ovechkin is only the sixth player in NHL history to record 30 or more hat tricks, joining Gretzky (50), Lemieux (40), Bossy (39), Hull (33), and P. Esposito (32).

🌎 World Junior Championship quarterfinals start today: 

• 🇫🇮 Finland vs. 🇸🇪 Sweden at 11 AM ET

• 🇨🇿 Czechia vs. 🇨🇭 Switzerland at 1:30 PM ET

• 🇺🇸 United States vs. 🇩🇪 Germany at 4 PM ET

• 🇨🇦 Canada vs. 🇸🇰 Slovakia at 6:30 PM ET

And in case you haven't been paying attention to the tournament, Connor Bedard has been running amok, leading the event in scoring with 18 points in just 4 games. As if 4.5 points per game wasn't impressive enough, he has more than double the next highest scorer, his teammate Logan Stankoven who has a total of 8 points through 4 games.

• Hurricanes improve winning streak to 11 with shootout victory over Devils

• Zibanejad nets two, Rangers beat Panthers to snap two-game slide

• Karlsson extends franchise-record point streak to 13, Sharks beat Blackhawks

• Lucchini scores first NHL goal as Senators snap Sabres' six-game streak

• Kraken top Islanders, snap three-game skid

• Pastrnak pays homage to Red Sox, Ortiz with Winter Classic equipment

• Crosby looks back on his baseball days ahead of Winter Classic

• Stars sign veteran Pavelski to one-year extension

• Kochetkov of Hurricanes named NHL Rookie of the Month for December

• 🤢 Another sick backhand tuck from Jack Hughes yesterday

• 🎯 Patrick Kane snipes high blocker on stickless Kaapo Kahkonen

• 🤦‍♀️ Mackenzie Blackwood whiffs on the puck, sets up Sebastian Aho

• 🚨 Samuelsson springs Girgensons who makes slick breakaway move

• 💥 Eeli Tolvanen blasts one-timer in Kraken debut

• 🥊 Pat Maroon & Josh Brown drop the mitts for a solid heavyweight NYE tilt

• Indirect passing effectiveness from NHL shooting coach Tim Turk

• Utilizing a bungee cord on your stick to strengthen your shot

• The Michigan mile conditioning drill

TRIVIA ANSWER:

Jonathan Toews & Henrik Zetterberg