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2018 NHL Winter Classic

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2018 NHL Winter Classic
123 Total
New York Rangers 000 0
Buffalo Sabres 000 0
DateJanuary 1, 2018
ArenaCiti Field
CityNew York, New York
← 2017 2019 →

The 2018 NHL Winter Classic is an upcoming regular season outdoor National Hockey League (NHL) game that is scheduled for January 1, 2018. The game will feature the Buffalo Sabers taking on the New York Rangers at Citi Field, home of Major League Baseball's New York Mets.

Host selection process

On March 15, 2017, Arthur Staple of Newsday reported that the game had been awarded to the New York Rangers. The Rangers originally had planned to play at Blaik Field at Michie Stadium on the campus of the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York[1] but were unable to come up with an agreement to use that facility in time. Yankee Stadium, which hosted the Rangers' games in the 2014 NHL Stadium Series, was ruled out for the Winter Classic because it hosts the Pinstripe Bowl a week before the event. Instead, the Rangers reportedly reached an agreement with Citi Field, home of the New York Mets baseball team, to host the event.[2] The same article identified the Buffalo Sabres as the Rangers' opponent. The Sabres were also in negotiations to host the event, both because it marked ten years since the inaugural Winter Classic and because the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships had already scheduled an outdoor game at New Era Field for late December 2017, which would have allowed the outdoor ice surface to be used for both that and the Winter Classic.[3]

On May 10, 2017, commissioner Gary Bettman officially announced that the 2018 Winter Classic would be played at Citi Field, and feature the New York Rangers at the Buffalo Sabres.[4] As with the 2014 NHL Stadium Series games, the Rangers are being designated as the visiting team, in order to comply with state tax laws that give their home arena Madison Square Garden tax-exempt status, under the condition that the Rangers do not "cease playing" home games at MSG (which is generally interpreted as meaning playing a home game at any other venue).[5][4][6]

Background

The Sabres and Rangers will each be playing in their second Winter Classic, following the Rangers' appearance in the 2012 event and the Sabres' in 2008. It is the Rangers' fourth outdoor game, having also appeared in the 2014 Stadium Series.

References

  1. ^ Brooks, Larry (October 9, 2016). "NHL exploring West Point for possible Rangers outdoor game". New York Post. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  2. ^ Staple, Arthur (March 15, 2017). "2018 NHL Winter Classic likely to be held at Citi Field with Rangers vs. Sabres, sources say". Newsday. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  3. ^ Hoppe, Bille (October 14, 2014). "Gary Bettman hints Sabres could host another outdoor game". Olean Times Herald. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Sabres to play Rangers in 2018 Winter Classic". Die by the Blade (SBNation). Vox Media. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  5. ^ "Rangers on Road in the Bronx? Money May Be Why". The New York Times. January 25, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  6. ^ Benjamin, Cody (May 12, 2017). "Sabres 'hosting' 2018 Winter Classic vs. Rangers reportedly saves MSG $40M". CBSSports.com. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
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