2014 Winter Classics

New York

Yankee Stadium will host a doubleheader of a different sort this winter. The 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series will see the three New York City metropolitan NHL teams play a pair of games at the home of the New York Yankees. The New York Rangers will face the New Jersey Devils at 12:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 26, 2014, and the Rangers will face the New York Islanders at 7:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 29, 2014. It will mark the first time hockey has been played at the new Yankee Stadium, which opened in 2009 across the street from the original. The new stadium seats 50,287 for baseball.

"The innovative nature of the Stadium Series affords the opportunity to have all three NHL teams in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area play, outdoors, at one of the most-recognized stadiums in the world," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "We'll be able to create a multi-faceted, multi-day experience for our fans, and we thank the teams, Coors Light, the New York Yankees and Yankee Stadium for their support of this memorable NHL event."

"The teams playing in these two games, the Rangers, Islanders and Devils, have tremendously loyal fans and the rivalries are intense because of their proximity and playoff history," said Mathieu Schneider, NHLPA special assistant to the Executive Director. "Yankee Stadium is a landmark venue in New York City, and to see hockey played in such a celebrated setting will be extremely memorable to the players and everyone involved."

While a number of NHL teams have used the ice rink in Central Park for practice, the games will mark the first time professional hockey has been played outdoors in New York City.

"We have long thought that Yankee Stadium would be a great venue for outdoor hockey," said Lonn Trost, New York Yankees Chief Operating Officer. "In addition to being a first-class baseball facility, Yankee Stadium was designed to house unique and memorable events, such as the NHL Stadium Series. Hosting two of the NHL's classic rivalries at Yankee Stadium will be a great kickoff for the worldwide sporting events in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area scheduled in early 2014."

This will be the second time the New York Rangers have played an outdoor game. They beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in the 2012 NHL Winter Classic, played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

"The New York Islanders are honored to take part in the National Hockey League's outdoor Stadium Series," added Islanders general manager Garth Snow. "Our fan base is one of the most passionate in the NHL. The support we consistently receive from our fans was on display during the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs and I expect it to be on an even greater scale when we take on the Rangers. This is what makes the games against the Rangers one of the best rivalries in the League. I look forward to seeing a strong contingent of the orange and blue in the stands at Yankee Stadium."
Division rivals for years, the teams also have engaged in memorable playoff matchups. The Rangers and Devils have met six times in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, most memorably in the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals. The Devils led 3-2 when Rangers captain Mark Messier made his famous guarantee and scored a hat trick to help the Rangers win Game 6. Then in Game 7, Stephane Matteau's goal in double overtime won the series en route to the team winning its first Stanley Cup since 1940. One year later, the Devils won the franchise's first Stanley Cup. In 2012, they beat the Rangers in a Game 6 overtime to advance to the Cup Final. The Rangers and Islanders have met eight times in the postseason, including four straight years from 1981-84. The Devils and Islanders have faced off once in the postseason, the 1988 Patrick Division Semifinals, which the Devils won in six games. The Rangers and Islanders first played Oct. 21, 1972 at Nassau Coliseum, with the Rangers winning 2-1. The first game between the Rangers and Devils was Oct. 8, 1982 at Brendan Byrne Arena, a 3-2 win by the Devils. The games in New York are the latest additions to the Stadium Series, which also includes a game between the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Jan. 25, and a game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks at Soldier Field in Chicago on March 1.

Los Angeles

Hockey fans in southern California will have an opportunity to watch some of their favorite NHL stars next year in possible 80-plus degree temperatures from the great outdoors when the Los Angeles Kings play host to the Anaheim Ducks at Dodger Stadium on Jan. 25, 2014. The event is part of the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series, in which the NHL plans to play a number of regular-season games in outdoor venues in 2013-14. The League already announced another game in this series last week, revealing plans for a outdoor game at Soldier Field, featuring the Chicago Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh Penguins, to be played on March 1, 2014.

"With their meeting in the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series, the Ducks and the Kings will write the next chapter in the exciting story of NHL hockey in Southern California," Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "At a venue that represents so much glorious sports history, this match-up of Stanley Cup champions will raise our outdoor initiatives to bold new heights. We know the game will be a treat for our fans, and we thank the Ducks, the Kings, Coors Light, Dodger Stadium and the Los Angeles Dodgers for bringing it to life."

Since the addition of a second team in Southern California 20 years ago, the Freeway Face-Off between the Ducks and Kings has been among the most spirited rivalries in the NHL. The Ducks became the first of the two franchises to win the Stanley Cup in 2007 and the Kings matched that feat this past season when they became the first No. 8 seed to win the championship.

"Dodger Stadium has been home to many unique and special moments over the past 51 years," Los Angeles Dodgers president Stan Kasten said. "We'll add another first in 2014 when the Dodger Stadium infield turns to ice as we host our first NHL game between the Kings and the Ducks."

The Kings actually have some history with outdoor hockey events as the NHL's first outdoor game was an exhibition pitting the Kings against the New York Rangers in the parking lot of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Sept. 27, 1991. That game took place in 85-degree weather.

Luc Robitaille, the Kings president of business operations, is excited that his organization was given the chance to participate in such a marquee event. "This is a credit to our fans and the amazing support they have shown to us and the NHL these past few years," Robitaille said. "This will be a sporting event like no other that has ever been seen in Southern California and we are proud to be a part of it." Robitaille, who spent three separate stints with the Kings during his illustrious career, retired as the all-time leading scorer among left wings with 1,394 points in 1,431 games. He established career highs of 63 goals and 125 points with Los Angeles in 1992-93, when the Kings lost in five games to the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final.

Dodger Stadium, which opened April 10, 1962, is the third-oldest continually used park in Major League Baseball. The venue has hosted more than 147 million fans since it opened and has been the setting for eight World Series and close to 4,000 regular-season games. This is the first time, however, that the stadium will host a hockey game. With a remarkable view of Chavez Ravine overlooking downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel mountains, Dodger Stadium has been called one of the treasured cathedrals of baseball with one of the most unique and picturesque settings in sports.

 

Chicago

Outdoor hockey will return to Chicago when the Chicago Blackhawks host the Pittsburgh Penguins at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 1, 2014, at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, the NHL announced Wednesday. The event is part of the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series, in which the NHL plans to play a number of regular-season games in outdoor venues during the 2013-14 season. The NHL intends to announce more outdoor regular-season games in the coming weeks.

"Our fans and our teams love outdoor games and we are thrilled the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series will present a number of these experiences to a large number of our fans in a variety of National Hockey League markets," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "The Chicago game, at Soldier Field, will be a match-up of two recent Stanley Cup champions at a landmark stadium. We thank the Blackhawks and Penguins, Coors Light, Soldier Field and everyone involved in what will be a memorable, exciting and fun event."

"Returning hockey to where it originated, in the cold elements of an outdoor rink, by playing at Soldier Field in Chicago will no doubt be a game the players will have circled on next season's schedule," Mathieu Schneider, NHLPA Special Assistant to the Executive Director, said. "This will be a great event for hockey fans in Chicago and Pittsburgh, and one that they won't soon forget."

Players from both sides already are looking forward to next season's game.

"Soldier Field is one of the coolest stadiums around," Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook said. "Being able to play in Wrigley [Field, for the 2009 Winter Classic] and having a chance to play in Soldier Field is going to be unbelievable."

"It takes you back," Penguins defenseman Paul Martin, who played for Pittsburgh in the 2011 Winter Classic, said. "For me, I grew up skating on the pond. Definitely we all enjoyed it."

The Soldier Field game will mark the second time the Blackhawks will host an outdoor regular-season game. At the 2009 Winter Classic, 40,818 packed Wrigley Field, plus thousands of other fans filled the famed rooftop seats across the street from the ballpark, to watch the Detroit Red Wings beat the Blackhawks 6-4.

"The Chicago Blackhawks are privileged to be included in the National Hockey League's Stadium Series," Blackhawks president and CEO John McDonough said. "Hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins at iconic Soldier Field promises to be a unique experience for our organization and our fans."

The Penguins will be taking part in their third outdoor game. They beat the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in a shootout in the first Winter Classic, in 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills, and in the 2011 Classic lost 3-1 to the Washington Capitals in a game played at Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"The Penguins are excited to be selected for the NHL Stadium Series in Chicago, and it will be a special honor for our players to be able to skate at Soldier Field," David Morehouse, CEO and president of the Penguins, said. "Soldier Field is one of the iconic venues in our country, a stadium that's filled with so much sports history. We look forward to writing a new chapter with the Blackhawks on March 1."

This will be second time hockey has been played at Soldier Field, which opened in 1924. On Feb. 17, 52,051 watched four college teams play a doubleheader dubbed the Hockey City Classic, Notre Dame beat Miami University in one game, and the University of Wisconsin beat the University of Minnesota in the second. The day before the college players hit the ice, the Blackhawks practiced on the temporary rink with members of the USA Warriors, a team comprised of disabled veterans.

"It's a great experience," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "You can go back to when we were over at Wrigley and I think everybody had the time of their lives. It's a special game. Once we get into that season you anticipate it, you look forward to it. We had the practice there [Soldier Field] this year, that was a special day, as well. I think it's going to be great. I look forward to it."