The long-expected news could come as soon as tomorrow, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie. That’s when the NHL will officially announce that the Caps and Pittsburgh Penguins will play in the fourth annual Winter Classic on Jan. 1 at Heinz Field. The Penguins played in the inagural game on Jan. 1, 2008 against the Buffalo Sabres. But with so much star power on the ice, including centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the NHL wanted to get Pittsburgh back into its rotation as soon as possible. The game airs on NBC on New Year’s Day. Caps officials would not comment on any pending announcement.
This year’s matchup was between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Boston Bruins at historic Fenway Park. The year before featured the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field. The Caps, with plenty of young stars on their own roster, including two-time MVP Alex Ovechkin, are a perfect fit for the Classic. It doesn’t hurt that the two teams have a natural rivalry. They played in the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2009, an epic seven-game series in the second round won by the Penguins. Heinz Field, with a capacity of 65,050, is also home to the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers. The NHL needs at least a week to set up the ice rink on the football field and the Steelers are on the road on Sun. Jan. 2. Their last home game in 2010 is on Thu., Dec. 23. The NHL will make its announcement the day before the Stanley Cup final begins in Chicago between the Blackhawks and Flyers.
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