Should the Winter Classic become the All-Star Game?

[VM1138 1,921]

I was thinking about how awesome the Winter Classics have been so far, and I was originally in favor of doing it every year. But then I realized, eventually there will have to be an Atlanta v. Nashville Winter Classic, which will be followed by news stories like this "Record low viewership, is the WInter Classic Dead?"

So what about making it the All_Star game? That would take away the intensity of the game, but it'd be a big draw for viewers.

Or are you simply in favor of only doing the Winter Classic once in a while for special teams (I.e. pre-second expansion teams?)

[sjradio 0]

No, it rules out most of southern cities for an all star game.

Can't hold a winter classic in warm temperatures otherwise the ice will be terrible.

I want the game to mean something.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Entertaining idea indeed, but all bashing aside of Southern cities aside conditions probably wouldn't be condusive to play a game in Nashville or Atlanta or Los Angeles if you want to keep the games outdoors.

And, whether it is fair or not or no matter how much people not like hockey south of the Sun Belt, if you keep the All-Star game as it is, all franchise cities should have a chance to host an All-Star game (not even talking about the abuse of All-Star voting etc. here). I'm not against this concept or the concept of All-Star games at all, just take the multi-voting system away as fans have clearly abused this system.

Maybe perhaps put the Winter Classic and the All-Star game on the same weekend perhaps, regardless of if they are different cities or not?

EDIT: Just realized that last blurb probably wouldn't work out, would take away the All-Star break concept which the players would probably still want in there given the constant travel and the like during the season.

Edited January 1, 2009 by SouthernWingsFan

[sibiriak 84]

I wouldn't want to travel to it if it were an ASG.

Let it run its course some more, there are still Detroit, MN, Boston, Colorado, all 6 Canadian teams and maybe Columbus (sisnce I live here ) that could conceivably hold an outdoor game. That's enough to run through year 2021. By then, they might invent warm-weather ice or something.

[big_D 0]

Hey why dont we go vote and get lids back in the starting line up and dats too i mean w ehave over 8 mill fans at least and we cant vote 600k in a vote yea....

[Donaldjr2448 43]

I was thinking the samething, but yeah the Southern Cities are the ones that deserve the All-Star Game. I think the ASG promotes the game well, and cities like Atlanta, Carolina, Florida, Tampa, Phoenix, and so on need all the help they can get!!

I think todays matchup was extremly awesome, since Chicago is making their way back and the Wings being the champs, also this game was a big divisional matchup, as well had a purpose in the standings!

I would like to see the Winter Classic stay with the Orginal Six Teams. I hoping for a Montreal/Toronto, or Boston/NYRangers next! All Orginal Six matchups all ways seem to have that extra excitment in the air that Buffalo and Pittsburgh cannot bring to the table!! That my 2 cents though!!

[eva unit zero 271]

No. The Winter Classic is Michigan's only chance to host a noteworthy regular season NHL event in the near future, and that's probably more than 5 years away. They won't put the ASG in Detroit for at least another ten years.

[sjradio 0]

No. The Winter Classic is Michigan's only chance to host a noteworthy regular season NHL event in the near future, and that's probably more than 5 years away. They won't put the ASG in Detroit for at least another ten years.

Detroit probably won't get an All Star game until they get a new arena. Sorry to say, the Joe is not like the new venues that have the amenities that the newer buildings have.

[eva unit zero 271]

Detroit probably won't get an All Star game until they get a new arena. Sorry to say, the Joe is not like the new venues that have the amenities that the newer buildings have.

24 other teams have hosted an All-Star game since Detroit in 1980. Buffalo is the only city that has had to wait longer, and Buffalo will likely host an ASG within the next five years as they have recently replaced their arena and have waited longer than any other team. The only other teams that have not hosted an ASG since 1980 are Ottawa, Anaheim, Nashville, and Columbus. The combined time they have spent in the league adds up to 47 seasons, compared to Detroit's 28 since their last time hosting. In 2012, say Nashville and Columbus host the 2011 and 2012 games. That's 4 more seasons for Detroit, Ottawa, and Anaheim. 32 seasons total for Detroit, 37 combined for Ottawa and Anaheim. By 2015, Ottawa, Buffalo, and Anaheim all get to host. So Detroit will have gone a minimum of 35 years without having hosted an All-Star game, while some cities will have hosted twice (Montreal, Los Angeles) and we might not see another All-Star game in Detroit before 2020.

[Copenhagen848 58]

No way....as mentioned, I'd like the Winter Classit to mean something.

[Datsyerberger 279]

The All-Star game is a frigging joke at the moment. I'm not opposed to its existence, but it needs a serious overhaul. The main problem is fan voting. It will always favor very good players in great markets over excellent players in crappy markets. And that was before the age of internet voting, which is an absolute train wreck.

I'm not against some sort of fan voting, but not for the roster, which will always result in homerism. Let the fans vote for aspects of the game that's not related to any specific team or player. While I don't have a list of such at the moment, I'm sure you could gather a very interesting list from any number of hockey fan forums.

I love the Winter Classic, but there are a few gripes I have with it. First is that it will take a total of 15 years (13 now) for every team to have been represented. I know that doesn't seem bad to us Wings fans, because we just got done wasting the Hawks, but TB fans or such could be waiting another 13. That's a long time to wait. As far as I know, there's no other event in any mainstream sport that involves having specific teams having to wait so long for a chance at something (except the Cubbies! ).

That's also a full 30 year rotation to have it feature in each team's town. Seeing as the Wings just played, we likely won't see a game in Detroit for atleast 14 years, and as many as 28.

Now, All-Star game hosting faces the same problem as above, but it's not linked so much to any specific team, but rather the league and it's star players. Now, let's assume that the All-Star game's huge problems are worked out. You merge the All-Star game with the Winter Classic. Suddenly, the Winter Classic isn't linked to any team at all. You don't even have to play it in a city that has an NHL team! (though you certainly might want to). Wings fans are gonna watch the Wings play whether its in Detroit or not. Habs fans are gonna watch them play whether its in Montreal or not. If you drop a big game in a city that doesn't have an NHL team, people are gonna show up anywhere.. people and families disperse (hell, look at how many Wings fans ARENT in Detroit), and even non-hockey fans are gonna be attracted to a venue, if nothing else for the spectacles that come along with it. Parents taking their kids for an exciting event and what not.

Anyhow, it could work, but not before the All-Star game ceases to suck. I'd be just as happy seeing the Winter Classic replace the All-Star game. s***ty sport for All-Star matchups anyhow; it's not like baseball where there's a low chance of injury. It's a heavy contact sport with very regular injuries. Right now, the All-Star game is just a chance for a team to have it's marquee players injured mid-season with no benefit to them. The Pro Bowl doesn't take place mid-season for a reason.

Edited January 2, 2009 by The Wheeled Winger

[Holmstrom96 347]

That's also a full 30 year rotation to have it feature in each team's town. Seeing as the Wings just played, we likely won't see a game in Detroit for atleast 14 years, and as many as 28.

Not true. There are quite a few teams that don't have a climate that could support a Winter Classic, so this would limit the hosting of the Winter Classic to northern teams.

The fact that it won't always happen in your city and they your team won't always be involved is what will make it a special treat. Like the Superbowl; Detroit was lucky to have it a few years ago, but it will likely be a while before we get to host it again, perhaps decades.

I like the Winter Classic, I think it's one of the good changes the NHL has made. I found it to be much more entertaining than an all-star game. Chicago was a great host and their fans were really into it, which made it great.

[schulzte 18]

The All-Star game needs to change, though I don't think it should be the All-Star game. I think the All-Star game should go back to the way it used to be; which was the Stanley Cup Champion hosting the game and playing an All-Star team comprised of the rest of the league. So this year, the Red Wings would be hosting the All-Star game at the Joe, and playing the 20 best players in the rest of the league. Anyone interested in that game?

It sounds crazy, but it would be more competitive than it seems, you would have a team that has played with each other all year vs. a team of the best players but that has never played with each other. Back in the day when they used this format, the All-Stars won about 2/3 of the time, and the Cup champions (on home ice) won about 1/3 of the time. And that means every player on the defending cup champions is an All-Star, which I think is a nice idea.

[Yzermania 156]

I think the team that wins the winter classic each year should play again host a new team the next year. If a team wins 10 years in a row, so be it.

[Guest dekeyuk]

The title of this thread is so, well, so dumb I can't believe it. Horrible idea. Is this an official idea, or just someone trolling? As for teams in the southern climates, too fricken bad. You can't play outdoor hockey when the temps are too high. There are plenty of northern cities. Sure, some of the southern teams can come and play up north for it, but for crying out loud you can't change the laws of thermodynamics. I say keep it original six for a while then maybe open it up to other northern cities..., but unless there is a high end US team, nobody will care to watch.

[Datsyerberger 279]

Not true. There are quite a few teams that don't have a climate that could support a Winter Classic, so this would limit the hosting of the Winter Classic to northern teams.

The fact that it won't always happen in your city and they your team won't always be involved is what will make it a special treat. Like the Superbowl; Detroit was lucky to have it a few years ago, but it will likely be a while before we get to host it again, perhaps decades.

I like the Winter Classic, I think it's one of the good changes the NHL has made. I found it to be much more entertaining than an all-star game. Chicago was a great host and their fans were really into it, which made it great.

What we may see with the southern cities is them playing in a 'neutral' northern city or the like.

And the Winter Classic =/= the Superbowl, while not every city has a chance at hosting every year, every team has a chance to participate every year.

[Kira 451]

Absolutely not. The All-Star game is a contradiction in terms. It's not all stars and it's not what I would call a game. The Winter Classic should be just that - a game that is remembered for years, because of the atmosphere, and the game itself. This one will be remembered, just as last year's was. But do you remember any of last year's All-Star game? I remember more of the Skills competiton than the game.