NHL Winter Classic

The NHL Winter Classic is an annual event hosted by the National Hockey League during which two teams play a regular-season game on an outdoor rink. The first outdoor regular-season NHL game was played between the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers in 2003 and called the Heritage Winter Classic.http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/winterclassic11/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=5971843

In the 2010-11 NHL season, the Pittsburgh Penguins meet the Washington Capitals in the 2011 NHL Winter Classic. The game takes place at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, home to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game was originally scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. EST start time on Saturday, January 1, 2011.http://www.nhl.com/ice/eventhome.htm?location=/winterclassic/2011 Due to weather conditions, the start time was pushed back to 8:00 p.m. EST on the same day.http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/hockey/comments/winter_classic_alert_game_time_change/

The 2010 Winter Classic featured the Philadelphia Flyers versus the Boston Bruins. The game was held on January 1, 2010, at the home of Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park.http://www.nhl.com/ice/eventhome.htm?location=/winterclassic/2010 The Bruins defeated the Flyers 2-1 in overtime.http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=511978

In the 2009 Winter Classic, the Chicago Blackhawks faced the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings at Chicago's Wrigley Field on January 1, 2009. The Blackhawks were defeated by the Red Wings 6-4.http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=401407&navid=DL|NHL|WinterClassic2009

On January 1, 2008, the NHL hosted the second ever outdoor regular-season game. The contest featured the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the Buffalo Sabres at Ralph Wilson Stadium in New York, which is home to the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. The Penguins defeated the Sabres by a score of 2-1.http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20072008/GS020584.HTM