About 2008 AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic

Group Owner: NHL_Connect

Founded: Dec 21 2007

Members: 131

Group Description:

NHL.com’s coverage of the second outdoor game in NHL history, Pittsburgh at Buffalo, Jan. 1, 2008

all

2008 AMP Energy NHL Winter ...'s snapshots

2008 AMP Energy NHL Winter ...'s videos

2008 AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic has no videos.

all

2008 AMP Energy NHL Winter ...'s blogs

01/02/08 01:19 PM EST

Posted by winfield31

ICE BOWL '08

Jan 02 2008 12:56 ICE BOWL 2008 ! Everything was awesome except one thing…….....what the heck is with playing “America The Beautiful” ? That’s not OUR/MY National Anthem !! The Blackhawk fly-over w... More
01/01/08 07:21 PM EST

Posted by Dan_Rosen

Now that was simply fantastic

“I don’t think you can call this anything but a success,” were the words Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Ty Conklin uttered not once, not twice, but three times following his team’s 2-1 shootout victory... More
01/01/08 02:19 PM EST

Posted by Dan_Rosen

Awesome, just awesome

What an awesome atmosphere. That’s really the only way to describe what it felt like being outside with the true fans here at Ralph Wilson Stadium. It was electric, the kind of energy that sent... More

all

2008 AMP Energy NHL Winter ...'s Board

david_cisneros

Jan 02 2008 16:47

THE RATINGS ARE IN!!!!

NEW YORK—The AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic, broadcast New Year’s Day on NBC, earned a 2.6 overnight rating and a 5 share (1-4:45 p.m. ET), the best overnight NHL regular season rating in more than a decade (Feb. 3, 1996 on Fox, six-game regional, 3.0/7). The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in the first U.S. outdoor game in NHL history. Twenty-year-old Sidney Crosby, the NHL’s reigning MVP, scored the game-winning goal in a shootout.
The overnight rating also surpasses Wayne Gretzky’s last game, which was broadcast on Fox (April 18, 1999, 2.5/6).
Top Ten Metered Markets:
1. Buffalo 38.2/58
2. Pittsburgh 17.7/30
3. Minneapolis 5.1/11
4. Denver 3.7/7
T5. Providence 3.5/7
T5. Las Vegas 3.5/6
7. St. Louis 3.3/5
8. Boston 3.2/6
9. Sacramento 2.9/6
T10. Richmond 2.8/5
T10. Hartford 2.8/5
“The best regular season rating in more than a decade is a result of the tremendous efforts of the NHL and we’re delighted by the success of this historic event,” said Ken Schanzer, President, NBC Sports. “Sam Flood, his production team and our broadcasters also deserve credit for conveying the great atmosphere in Buffalo and producing a memorable broadcast. The Winter Classic exposed hockey to a larger audience and definitely made new fans of the game.”
Eddie Olczyk, NBC’s NHL game analyst said: “This was one of the best events I’ve ever been a part of as a player, coach or broadcaster. It truly was a memorable experience and a great day for the sport of hockey.”
- Flag this as inappropriate
reply [view replies(3)]
- sportsfanattic
  
  Jan 03 2008 00:53
  
  Yup
  
  I expect we picked up a few more fans with this one. Practically perfect – other than I wasn’t there and the Sabres lost. Let’s do it again next year – maybe in Montreal or Vancouver. I say, keep it in a cold place.
  - Flag this as inappropriate
- howie0109
  
  Jan 02 2008 19:56
  
  disappointed hockey fan!!!!!!!
  
  and after all that the indianapolis market didn’t receive due to the great decision makers at WTHR. It was broadcasted on a low power station that i don’t think is really a NBC station. We found that after a long seach on internet. We tuned into a historic game and found MONTEL….I’m moving back to buffalo!
  - Flag this as inappropriate
- Frenchie
  
  Jan 02 2008 22:10
  
  Milwaukee Ratings?
  
  Were did Milwaukee turn up in the ratings for the Winter Classic?
  40k turned up for the Badgers/Ohio State college game a few years ago at Lambeau in GB.
  - Flag this as inappropriate
hemlyn8

Jan 02 2008 15:49

To conclude...

Congratulations to the Pens and sorry for Buffalo!
-
The weather was fantastic (lol) and people were many to watch the show. That was a great game!
- Flag this as inappropriate
reply [view replies(0)]
sabres_fan

Jan 02 2008 14:22

A win win situation

I was at the warm confinements of my bed watchin the game. But, the moments leadin up to the game was awesome. Even if you weren’t at the game, anyone livin in the area could feel the magic goin on. Too much Crosby luvin by nbc. Wanted to listen to rick jennerat(that’s not how u spell his name) play by play but their was at least a five second delay between radio n tv. But in all, it was a great expereience from home. Whatever city they do this next is in for a treat.
- Flag this as inappropriate
reply [view replies(0)]
sabresfan15

Jan 02 2008 00:54

another loss

I drove all the way from cbus, OH to go to the classic and it was AMAZING. One of the best events that hockey could have put together, too bad the sabs lost:(
- Flag this as inappropriate
reply [view replies(1)]
- john_mcgourty
  
  Jan 03 2008 11:15
  
  Columbus would work
  
  There’s been a lot of loose talk, not solid planning yet, about where another such game might be successful, Chicago, Boston, St. Paul, Denver, Detroit, maybe NYC, but Columbus gets cold enough for such a game and it’s hard to find a market with such a high percentage of sports fanatics.
  The Blue Jackets have been proving this and the turnout for the draft last summer was huge.
  Fun town to party in, too.
  - Flag this as inappropriate
goldblooded

Jan 01 2008 20:31

pens win

lets go pens!!!!!!! you could say for both teams that they had a good time playing pond hockey. (even if they didn’t win the game)
- Flag this as inappropriate
reply [view replies(2)]
- john_mcgourty
  
  Jan 03 2008 11:25
  
  NW Penna is beautiful
  
  We drove back to Trenton NJ by US 219 to Bradford, Pa. Then Rt. 59, 46 and 120 to Lock Haven.
  Ellicottville, NY, is a quiet gem of a ski town.
  It would be hard to find a more beautiful ride in winter than along the Sinnemahoning and W. Branch of the Susquehanna. The gorges were beautiful.
  One of my favorite aspects of the game was how much of a leader Georges Laraque has become. You couldn’t top his enthusiasm for this game and it was infectious. He’s a great spokesman for the team.
  - Flag this as inappropriate
- Zamboni08
  
  Jan 08 2008 13:30
  
  What An Awesome Sight!!!
  
  I am, unfortunately, living in a city that has no professional sports teams at all, but has had its’ share of hockey exposure and there are some fans here that would appreciate the sport more than our myopic local sports media will allow.
  But, as long as I’ve been a fan of hockey, I have never seen anything more majestic than that Winter Classic game that took place in Buffalo.
  I would love to have a part of that incredible crowd that braved the elements to see this game, the Sabres should rent a huge billboard in Buffalo and extend their gratitude to their amazing fans for making hockey history.
  That was a totally beautiful experience, and I watched every second of it on TV.
  I hope this becomes an annual event, and is designated to other cities that have NHL franchises instead of just in one city every year, like the NFL does with their Thanksgiving games, always in Detroit and Dallas, that’s gotten kind of old now.
  The NHL is constantly breaking new ground and making their sport more exciting to watch than ever before, I am so looking forward to my first ever live NHL experience either in Nashville or Atlanta.
  I’ve said all that to say to the National Hockey League, congratulations and bravo for putting on such an illustrious event as the Winter Classic.
  It was all that, and then some.
  - Flag this as inappropriate