Bettman: Outdoor games 'far from being overdone'

[cprice12]

http://www.tsn.ca/bettman-outdoor-games ... e-1.341322

MINNEAPOLIS - There's no reason for the NHL not to keep holding outdoor games each season, Commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday.

Bettman made a promotional appearance at the University of Minnesota football stadium. That's where the Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks will play outside Feb. 21 as part of the NHL's Stadium Series games, which were started in 2014 to supplement the annual Winter Classic on New Year's Day.

Bettman said fans, communities and teams "cannot get enough" of the outdoor games and that "they're far from being overdone or oversaturated." After several years of lobbying, the Wild finally landed one for 2016.

"I told the guys as soon as it was announced, it's something they'll appreciate and remember forever," said left wing Thomas Vanek, who has played in outdoor games previously with the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders.

Vanek played in college at Minnesota at Mariucci Arena, right across the street from TCF Bank Stadium where the game this winter will be held. The Gophers have played a game outside there, but the Wild have yet to host one.

The NHL has staged 14 outdoor games in the last seven years.

"I have no doubt the game will be sold out and that it will be a big deal," Bettman said.

Ticket prices for the game will range from $109 to $449.

There'll be an alumni game held the day before the Blackhawks-Wild game featuring former players from both the Chicago and Minnesota NHL franchises, including the old North Stars. Former North Stars Brian Bellows, Dino Ciccarelli and Mike Modano were among the prominent names announced Wednesday for the Minnesota roster. The Chicago roster will include Ed Belfour, Jeremy Roenick and Denis Savard among others.

Also of note:
—Bettman said his deposition in New York last week lasted nearly eight hours, as part of the concussion lawsuit brought by former players. They've accused the league of having the knowledge and resources to better prevent head trauma, failed to properly warn players of such risks, and promoted violent play that led to their injuries.
"We believe the lawsuit is without merit, but I'm not here today to debate in a public forum something that's before the courts," Bettman said.
—Vanek had surgery in June to repair a double hernia on his left groin muscle, but he said he'll be at full strength by training camp in September.

[cardsfan04]

The NHL has outdoor games? Never seen one.

[Oaklandblue]

Yeah what's that? Is it the same as an indoor one?

[ecbm]

As long as fans in the 6 markets that get the games aren't burned out, I guess he's right.

[cprice12]

As long as fans in the 6 markets that get the games aren't burned out, I guess he's right.

I'm not burned out on them. Not many true hockey fans will get "burned out" on the game.
They have just lost their luster. They aren't that special anymore.
I'll still watch them. But with a number of them being done each year now, I probably won't watch them all...especially with teams in it again that have already been in it a few times already.
Oh...Chicago in yet another outdoor game again eh? Meh. I'll watch it if I have nothing else going on...but it's just not special anymore.
That's probably partially because I'm a bitter Blues fan who wants his team in one of these damn things so bad...yet Chicago gets in for the 37th time this year. But whatever.

[cardsfan04]

As long as fans in the 6 markets that get the games aren't burned out, I guess he's right.

I'm not burned out on them. Not many true hockey fans will get "burned out" on the game.
They have just lost their luster. They aren't that special anymore.
I'll still watch them. But with a number of them being done each year now, I probably won't watch them all...especially with teams in it again that have already been in it a few times already.
Oh...Chicago in yet another outdoor game again eh? Meh. I'll watch it if I have nothing else going on...but it's just not special anymore.
That's probably partially because I'm a bitter Blues fan who wants his team in one of these damn things so bad...yet Chicago gets in for the 37th time this year. But whatever.

That's exactly why I won't be watching. If they choose their matchups based on ratings, I won't be helping their ratings.

Now, if they start giving outdoor games to teams that haven't played several of these already, I'll make a point to watch it even if it's not the Blues.

Just give us a damn game already, even a road one.

[glen a richter]

I still hate the idea of regular season games being played outdoors. Now, if they wanted to make the ASG an outdoor event, that would be groovy.

They've proven maintaining ice outdoors is possible in the unlikeliest of places, so I'd say set up the rink, and have a weeklong event... first 6 days can be a tournament for juniors teams from around the country/continent/world whatever, day 5 is highlighted by a "Legends of the Game" event at night after the kids games are over and also the 1st day that the NHL'ers are all off, day 6 can be the finals of the kids tournament and the skills competition at night, day 7 is the ASG, midday and NHL games start back up the next night. Alternate host cities by conference.

[ecbm]

As long as fans in the 6 markets that get the games aren't burned out, I guess he's right.

I'm not burned out on them. Not many true hockey fans will get "burned out" on the game.
They have just lost their luster. They aren't that special anymore.
I'll still watch them.

I find the romanticism of them fades pretty quickly when you're only invited to watch other teams play. Oh, it's a particularly compelling way to take in high-end hockey? I wouldn't know that because I'm not going to travel to watch Chicago or some northeast team play in one yet again. Given that, all the breathless commentary about ice quality and such, all the elaborate opening acts, all the hype over huge crowds seems kind of silly, not entertaining. Because that's all it is to me other than another regular season game between two teams, neither of which I follow.

I still hate the idea of regular season games being played outdoors. Now, if they wanted to make the ASG an outdoor event, that would be groovy.

I could live with that. I imagine it would suck to miss the playoffs by a point after losing an exhibition game on crap ice with a laser beam glare coming off of it.

[glen a richter]

Regarding the huge crowds, I remember back in the 90's when the Islanders were a so-so team and they had a deal for $10 tickets but you had to sit in the shittiest of all seats, we got tickets to a game this one time and ended up in the 2nd to last row all the way upstairs behind the Islanders net. It was hard enough to see the action from there, I can't imagine being 2nd to last row all the way upstairs at a game being played in a freaking football stadium. What's the point? You'd need a telescope to see the action.

I did see a lot of Islander games from lousy seats though, in a roundabout way I sort of worked for them. In HS, I took a sports marketing class and the teacher was a former employee of the Islanders. She got us hooked up with a lot of free tickets in exchange for us creating promotions for the team, so we pretty much sold out entire sections for them and made relatively decent ads to promote specific games against non-rivals that wouldn't have sold out so easily otherwise.

[ViPeRx007]

I don't know about the outdoor games, but Bettman is certainly overdone.

[WaukeeBlues]

See I think that the fact that there IS two points in the standings on the line is what makes them great. Everyone on both teams is subjected to the same ice and weather conditions, with any b*tching or moaning that could be done about the wind or sun being addressed by swapping sides halfway through the second.

Per team there is at MOST one of them a season. I don't think they're overdone. Fans can't get enough of them and will keep spending the money so the NHL would be dumb to not keep doing it.

The individuality of THE Winter Classic is already gone I think as far as that singular event goes. But outdoor games will always be cool. And most teams don't play in them which still makes it really special to anyone not on Chicago or Tomas Vanek or Ty Conklin

[APOD]

Since the Wild don't have a big alumni they are combining with North Stars alumni. Love the jersey idea they came up with.
http://twitter.com/VintageMNHockey/status/633666125314682884