Around the Rink: Ixnay on the Eaver-bay Edition

by Bob Herpen
Phanatic Hockey Editor 

Although hockey fans and writers have discussed this possibility from the moment the National Hockey League announced it would introduce the Winter Classic into its regular-season schedule more than five years ago, it suddenly became news again yesterday, that Beaver Stadium at Penn State is interested in hosting outdoor hockey.

With a capacity of more than 100,000 it's a no-brainer for the fifth-tier sport in America to try and once again goose its overall and average attendance numbers by holding yet another open-air battle.

Its central location in Pennsylvania makes it a stone-cold lock for speculation to run rampant over a Penguins-Flyers battle, though the Sabres are in the mix as well -- owing to the fact that Buffalo owner Terry Pegula is the one who jettisoned a small portion of his wealth in order to create a legitimate D-I program in Happy Valley along with a state-of-the-art arena to bear his name, which opens this Fall.

In case you don't feel like looking it up, it's approximately 195 miles from Buffalo to State College, 137 miles from Pittsburgh to Penn State and 190 miles from Philadelphia to the edge of the Commonwealth's main land grant campus.

While the prospect of seeing the NHL's bellwether rivalry on neutral ground, elbow-to-elbow with a small city's worth of friends and enemies, had me lit up like a Christmas Tree back in 2007, six years hence, the idea leaves me cold. Pun intended.

Outdoor games, and the trademarked "Winter Classic" carry with it not only the experience of watching pro hockey exposed to the elements and on a bigger stage, but also the thrill of a road trip that's an actual destination. Part of the allure for the partisan fan is visiting new cities like Buffalo, Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. OK, so Orchard Park -- but Buffalo and Niagara Falls are close by. The other four cities offer more than just a hockey game before and after. What does State College bring to the table, save a larger area with which to park an RV and tailgate, for the traveller?

The NHL's decision to award the next New Year's Day game to Ann Arbor and then discussing another game in yet another college town stands in direct contrast to the NCAA's recent efforts to hold its Frozen Four in NHL-level arenas in order to increase exposure. Shouldn't it be the other way around?

There are tons of Penn State alumni who can claim either PA club as their favorite. Nonetheless, what's the incentive for the Flyers or Penguins fan who is not an alumnus/alumna, and uninterested in reliving their hazy, boozy college days to make any more of an effort to see the game than driving up the night before, staying within driving distance of the stadium, then heading home afterwards? It seems like an awful waste of money and resources since the cost of an NHL ticket is prohibitive anyway, much less one or more for a special occasion such as this held on terra incognita.

Even as ridiculous as it seems to want to hold outdoor games in Las Vegas or Los Angeles, there's still an entire entertainment package for the hockey tourist which can bracket game attendance, making a once-in-a-lifetime journey wholly worthwhile. Though everyone knows there's nothing to do in the Bronx once the Devils-Islanders-Rangers are finished at Yankee Stadium, the thrill of all New York offers is a short subway ride away. You simply don't get that in State College, even with the ease of a compromise location.

Warning: my biases, of which my readers should be aware by now, are going to show through with the following passage.

Should Penn State manage to snag an outdoor college game, and if, on the off chance the university manages to snag a national powerhouse like Boston College, Boston University, Notre Dame or Michigan as its opponent as has been reported, I'm not going as fan or credentialed writer. But if you would in a heartbeat, I don't begrudge that opinion.

It's an exponentially easier and smoother drive -- not to mention more than two hours shorter -- from Philly to Centre County (Blue Route to Northeast Extension to I-80 to I-99) as it is from here to Boston (as those who have ever dodged New York drivers and traversed Connecticut on I-95 and I-84 over the last decade can attest), but there's already going to be another edition of Frozen Fenway this January, featuring a better level of D-I hockey in an outdoor setting which is cozier and more welcoming than sitting in a six-digit behemoth in the middle of nowhere.

Taking outdoor games at either the college or NHL level to its logical extreme, and holding them in venues like Beaver Stadium or Michigan Stadium which are more suitable for gathering when a visiting Pontiff holds Mass, strips them of the communal hockey experience that intimate venues like old ballparks and smaller football venues provide. The sheer numbers may be mind-blowing, but the vibe is lost.

Besides, are there even close to 100,000 college hockey fans in all of Pennsylvania? My bet is not enough to cover the gap left over from the other school's fan base. 

I'd strongly suggest to the NHL that any future outdoor game involving the Penguins and Flyers to be held in either member city. I'll advocate that Penguins and Flyers fans put aside their mutual disrespect for each other and their respective locales, and travel to either Pittsburgh or Philly and soak in what each has to offer the traveler -- rather than potentially turning into the Iron City-and-Yuengling-soaked version of the Jets and Sharks played out on neutral ground.

Notre Dame will be joining a perennially strong Hockey East this season, so if you want to see what serious, established Division I hockey brings to the table, head to Chestnut Hill, Providence, Lowell or Burlington instead. If you want to wait a bit longer, lay out some extra ducats to come here in April for the national semifinals and finals where there's a guarantee of top-flight college competition and meet true dedicated, knowledgeable fans.

Penn State's time is not now, but soon. Let the university grow the program long enough where the pull is not just attending a game in the Nittany Lions' football stadium, but that Penn State hockey has a damn good chance against a national powerhouse.

Anything you can do, they can do better...except think of a cool team name

Earlier in the week, I put this question to my small legion of Twitter followers: Suppose that a women's NHL was created and Philadelphia was picked to be one of the inaugural franchises. What would you like to see as the name of the new team?

The idea germinated during the second lockout eight years ago, when, in a fit of boredom, I created a possible eight-team WNHL to replace the idiocy of the league and union when it looked like the 2004-05 season would be canceled. I can't remember which name I gave the Philly franchise, but the thought popped back into my head under a blazing sun last Saturday in Moorestown while reffing a charity roller hockey tournament.

As the saying goes, ask a stupid question...

Number one on the list was "Liberty Belles," followed by Belles, Spirit, Liberties, Gaz'ers, Keystones, Devils' Pockets, Byngers, Whores, Bully Broads, Lady Skaters, Rockford Peaches, and Frozen Skirts.

I then turned to CSN's Sarah Baicker -- herself an ice hockey player who skates for multiple teams in the region, including the Philadelphia Freeze. Her first inclination? The Philadelphia Fillies, and when pressed for a serious answer, was unable to provide one at posting time.

Needless to say, I'm very disappointed in everyone. Sure, you want something that evokes the spirit of the region without being overtly sexist or too gender neutral, but that's it?

Just off the top of my head, how about Smash, Concordes, Fox, Rage, Huskies, Angels? Yeah, Freeze sounds damn good, too.

Cup dreams and crushing reality

Three years ago yesterday, thousands of Flyers fans, most of them under the age of 40, woke up with the best feeling most of them had ever encountered in watching playoff hockey.

With a 5-3 win in Game 4 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals on home ice, they drew even with the Blackhawks at two games apiece heading back to Chicago for Game 5.

It's significant given this fact: since winning their back-to-back Cups in 1974 and '75, the Flyers have found themselves repeatedly behind the 8-ball in their quest for a third championship.

In 1976, they were swept by the Canadiens. Four years later, they were down 1-3 to the Islanders, then faced similar long odds against the Edmonton Oilers in both 1985 and 1987, then were swept by the Red Wings in '97.

This team which had to pull itself together just to make the playoffs on the last day of the regular season provided a momentary jolt of electricity for thousands of eager supporters. Even after losing a largely defense-less 7-4 decision at Chicago in Game 5, no reason to think they couldn't pull it together at home for Game 6...

 

Fifth Annual Winter Classic holds few surprises

by Bob Herpen
Phanatic Magazine

Lost in the Flyers' 3-2 defeat at the hands of the New York Rangers on Monday afternoon from the rollicking cauldron that is Citizens Bank Park was...well...nothing really.

It all was very apparent from my perch in Section 105, Row 9, Seat 18. Neither wind, nor snow, nor partially-blocked sightlines could keep me from these appointed rounds.

Like I said on Twitter a few days ago, if there was a choice between sitting in the press box or attending as a fan and being able to enjoy myself on a special occasion like today, I'll choose the latter every time.

Primarily because this was a battle between the top two teams in the Atlantic Division who are jockeying for playoff position this early, the game began in as exciting a fashion as your typical chess match featuring Big Blue.

Where talk previously existed from both sides about getting back to one's roots and playing the game they knew as children in the great outdoors, all that was left once the puck was dropped was a cautious pace -- as if both head coaches, finished with the distractions from their HBO 24/7 invasion, admonished their clubs not to embarrass themselves on national television.

The Flyers ran out of gas after going up 2-0 in the second period. You have to commend the Rangers for pulling it all together and making a charge over the final half of the game.

Sergei Bobrovsky's awful short-side goal given up to Michael Rupp late in the middle period should have quieted any of the pro-Bob, anti-Bryz chatter long enough to make anyone realize that neither goaltender is truly capable of doing a stellar job for more than one game at a time.

While both fan bases can debate the merit of the delay-of-game call to Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh inside the final 20 seconds, it remains to be seen how Danny Briere managed to shoot the puck less like himself and more like Dan Carcillo with the game on the line.

Aside from the game itself, what struck me as odd was the near-total lack of functional interplay between the two fan groups.

OK, so there was the obligatory shoving/shouting match between young Flyers and Rangers fans two sections over which caused mutual ejections in the early stages of the third period, but from the moment I touched down in the lot on Darien Street until the final buzzer sounded, things seemed too civil.

Two years ago, in Boston, it was a constant tug of war, a battle of wits between the motormouthed New Englanders and the Philadelphian interlopers who managed to snag a ring of the best seats from the third-base side around to the first-base side. Never ones to take even the simplest of provocations, Bostonians traded some choice barbs back and forth with the Flyers faithful in the concourses and in the seats of venerable Fenway Park.

But there was none of that today. And it felt very weird. It was as if the lack of a roof and solid walls around these perennial combatants allowed all the animus to float above the fray, with no real targets in mind and no boundaries to hold them. Words were exchanged but fell on deaf ears. Both sides traded the usual "sucks" chants but it sounded half-hearted. Even the perfunctory "Crosby sucks" interjection felt tacked on, rote, obvious.

That's not what I came to see. Granted, I didn't pay top dollar to witness an all-out assault on anyone wearing the red, white and blue, but a very odd thing occurred -- the wonder of the day itself cornered much of the distaste one side had for the other. A good Christian man's war finally had its own version of the Christmas truce.

It even lasted through New York's valiant rally, and the cries over suspect officiating, the missed penalty shot, and finally spilled out into the streets of South Philadelphia. Maybe there's hope yet for The Big Apple and its Little Brother as long as the possibility of future Winter Classics exists.

At the end of the day, beyond the hyperbole and the hand-wringing, it's fair to say the Rangers own the Flyers.

Three wins in three meetings -- all in regulation -- mean that Philly won't have the benefit of tiebreakers at the end of the seasoneven if they manage to sweep the remaining matchups. That's a killer because in all likelihood four of the five Atlantic teams will be postseason viable. And yes, two points lost on January 2 will have a ripple effect come April.

But again, none of this was divined by any special means on Monday afternoon. The cards were already laid on the table and just needed to be viewed in order to reveal the ultimate fortune for both sides.

All it took was some badly needed daylight and a stiff wind to blow away the chatter to make the outcomes crystal clear. The Flyers are still not up to snuff in vital areas, but it sure was refreshing to watch them in a new setting.

Old Pens help Flyers beat new Pens

Special to the Phanatic

Jaromir Jagr and Maxime Talbot both scored against their former team as the Philadelphia Flyers took a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins at CONSOL Energy Center in a key Atlantic Division tilt on Thursday night.

Kimmo Timonen and Matt Read also tallied for the Flyers, who came into the game having lost their previous two and four of their last five contests.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 24 stops in the win, while Claude Giroux had two assists to increase his NHL-leading point total to 46.

In the process, the Orange and Black improved to 18-0-1 this season when leading after two periods and tied the idle New York Rangers atop the division with 48 points.

Jagr had a storied career in Pittsburgh as he played there from 1990 through 2001. Talbot had spent his first six seasons in the Steel City before signing with the Flyers as a free agent this summer.

"It was a big game and personally it was nice for me and 'Jags' to get the goal, but more importantly is that we got the two points against a team we're going to be fighting for a playoff spot," said Talbot.

Philadelphia's next contest will by on January 2 against the resurgent Broadway Blueshirts in the annual Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park, home of baseball's Philadelphia Phillies.

Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy both registered a goal for the Penguins, who saw their four-game winning streak stopped. Marc-Andre Fleury, usually rock-solid whenever playing against his eastern Pennsylvania foes, stopped just 19-of-22 shots in the loss.

Just 44 seconds in, the Pens took a 1-0 lead as Kennedy sent a pass from behind the right side of the net over to the left and Staal used a quick shot to get it past Bobrovsky.

However, the Flyers struck on the power play halfway through the first as Timonen's one-timer from the slot off a feed from Giroux sailed over the glove of Fleury.

At the 6:03 mark of the second, Jagr cruised down the left side after getting the puck from Giroux, stickhandled across the middle and lifted a backhander into the net.

The goal, his first in the new Penguins' home, elicited a special version of his trademark salute, one directed at a particular fan seated along the right-wing boards who apparently gave the 39-year-old the international salute prior to the opening faceoff.

"She didn't like it much. It was like '(expletive) off," Jagr said of his personal message to the lucky Pittsburgh supporter.

It was a 3-1 game 10 minutes later as Sean Couturier sent a backhander on net from the right side with the rebound kicking out front and Read burying it for his 12th of the year.

The score stayed that way until the 13:31 spot of the third as Kennedy's slap shot from the right circle beat Bobrovsky to the short side.

That goal sparked life in the Penguins as they went to a constant attack, but Bobrovsky came up with the saves on a late bench minor penalty and Talbot provided poetic justice by scoring into the empty net with 25 seconds to play.

Notes: Philly has won all four of its games at CONSOL Energy Center, which was opened by the two squads in October of 2010...The Flyers have won four straight in Pittsburgh for the first time since a five-game run from March of 1983 to March of 1984...It was Timonen's first goal of the season...Giroux has collected 13 multi-point games this season...Couturier notched two assists in his first game since being hit in the head by a Timonen shot on December 17...Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin, who assisted on the Kennedy goal, has a nine- game point streak during which he has posted six goals and 13 assists.

NYC to give Blueshirts, Bullies some lighted love

Courtesy of NHL.com

New York City – As the countdown to the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic continues, the Empire State Building will celebrate the much-anticipated outdoor match-up between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers by shining its world-famous tower lights in Rangers and Flyers colors on Wednesday, December 28.

The East/West sides of the building, with west facing Madison Square Garden, will be lit in the Rangers' Blue, Red and White, while its North/South sides, with south facing the City of Philadelphia, will be lit in the Flyers' Orange and White.

Boreanaz pens Flyers love letter

Word from Hollywood today is that David Boreanaz, Bones star and son of former Channel 6 weatherman Dave Roberts, penned a loving ode to his hometown Philadelphia Flyers for the upcoming Winter Classic.

And here it is, thanks to PopWatch:

"All it took was one game at the old Spectrum, and I bled orange and black for life.

I was about seven years old when my family and I moved from Buffalo, New York to Philadelphia. Not too long after we arrived, my dad, as a surprise, got us tickets to see the Buffalo Sabres take on the Flyers at the Spectrum. It was exciting. He had gotten tickets in the nose-bleed section and when the Sabres scored, I cheered really loud. My dad just looked at me and I could tell that it was probably not the wisest thing to do.

Even as a child I remember being taken aback by the, well, non-exuberant crowd around me as I celebrated alone in the upper decks of the old Flyer home. Instead of being scared, though, I was impressed by their passion and their intensity; back then the arenas were smaller, and there was a closeness that you don’t get as much now. Such was my introduction to the Flyers.

Needless to say, by the time the hometown boys rallied to win that game, they had won me over. From there on out, I was a hardcore Flyers fan and I never looked back.

This was during the Broad Street Bullies days, the mid-’70s, and the intensity of the fans was equaled by the intensity of the guys on the ice where Bobby Clarke, Billy Barber, Bernie Parent helped the young Flyers win two Stanley Cups. No one expected anything from them and they came out winners. They were living the Rocky dream before Rocky was even made.

There’s no team that so completely reflects its city the way the Flyers do. Philadelphia is a blue collar, hard-working city with a flair for excitement. Sure, it can be a little rough and tumble on the outside, but on the inside it’s just about love for the game. All games. It’s just a great sports town. The fans treat the players like they’re family. So when guys like Clarke and Barber gave way to the Legion of Doom and on up to the skilled players we have today like Claude Giroux and James van Reimsdyk, the fans never let go of that old Broad Street Bullies legend.

When you play for Philadelphia, it’s not about the name on the back, it’s about the crest on the front. You play your heart out for the organization and no matter what happens with trades or whatever, you are a Philadelphia Flyer. You embrace it.

Over the years, I saw some games I will never, ever forget. I was there when Bill Barber got his 1,000th point and all the pamphlets fell from the Spectrum ceiling. I think I still have one of them in a box somewhere. Or Game 6 of the 2004 Playoffs against Tampa Bay, when Keith Primeau scored that crazy wraparound goal and the Wachovia Center collectively went nuts. I remember getting to go down to the locker room and talking to Jeremy Roenick after that game and seeing him with this huge ice pack on his shoulder and knowing there was no way they were going to win Game 7 — they were beat — but that comeback in Game 6 was unforgettable.

But the most important thing was having my dad there. I’d go with my dad and we’d sit and it was all about when were we going to get our usual ice cream cone and when are the Flyers going to come back and it’s a school night but I’m at this game — just getting swept up in the excitement of it all. I will never forget that.

And now here we are at the NHL Winter Classic, and I am really excited about bringing that colorful old Flyers/Rangers rivalry to such a big stage.

I have vivid memories of when the Rangers would come to the Spectrum — We used to call them “Smurfs on Ice.” Literally, people would throw Smurfs on the ice, the way Florida fans would pelt the ice with rubber rats. I remember sitting there thinking, “This is crazy. They’re throwing Smurfs!” But it’s exciting that this game is such a key Atlantic Division match-up, and the Classic really sets the tone for the playoff push from January to April.

I watched the inaugural NHL Winter Classic with my dad and I remember thinking what an amazing thing it was for the city of Buffalo and for the NHL. Hockey the way it should be played: outside. Seeing the passion of the players, goalies wearing hats to keep warm. It’s cool. And now having it come to Philly it’s just huge.I didn’t get to play as much as I would have liked as a kid, but I did play some pond hockey in Buffalo — skating along with twigs poking up out of the ice. Once we moved to Philly, I had these old goalie pads, they were plastic and foam (I think every kid in the late ’70s might have had these pair) and they were cool because you’d get the plastic so worn down you’d slide. I loved goaltenders. Getting to watch greats like Parent and Pelle Lindbergh certainly helped — but it really was all about the mask. I’d have my friends shoot pucks and tennis balls at me, but having the cool looking mask was the thing.

Oddly enough, I play now, out in Los Angeles were I live, more than I ever did before. I play club hockey with friends and some former NHL players, and my 9 year-old son plays on a traveling team. Although I’d never pressure him — there’s nothing worse than trying to force on your child the things you wanted to do as a kid — he loves it, and watching him develop with it has been incredible. He loves playing the game and he loves watching the game.

And, of course, his favorite team just happens to wear the orange and black."

Alumni Game rosters announced

Just prior to this afternoon's Flyers-Canadiens tilt, the rosters for the December 31 Alumni Game were announced.

For your Philadelphia Flyers...

Forwards: Bill Barber, Bob Clarke, Jim Dowd, Orest Kindrachuk, Eric Lindros, Ken Linseman, Dave Poulin, Jeremy Roenick, Al Hill, Bob Kelly, John LeClair, Shjon Podein, Brian Propp, Reggie Leach, Mark Recchi, Rick Tocchet

Defensemen: Terry Carkner, Eric Desjardins, Larry Goodenough, Derian Hatcher, Mark Howe, Brad Marsh, Kjell Samuelsson, Chris Therien, Joe Watson

Goaltenders: Mark LaForest and Neil Little

Coaches: Pat Quinn (head coach), Mike Nykoluk and Keith Primeau (assistant coaches)

Nykoluk holds somewhat of a record, as he is widely regarded as being the first full-time assistant coach in league history. He was Fred Shero's right-hand man during the Flyers' Stanley Cup era.

For the New York Rangers...

Goalies: John Vanbiesbrouck, Dan Blackburn

Defensemen: Ron Greschner, Darius Kasparaitis, Tom Laidlaw, Brian Leetch, Dave Maloney, Dale Purinton, Mathieu Schneider

Forwards: Glenn Anderson, Paul Broten, Ron Duguay, Nick Fotiu, Mike Gartner, Adam Graves, Pat Hickey, Kris King, Nick Kypreos, Darren Langdon, Stephane Matteau, Brian Mullen, Darren Turcotte

Coaches: Mike Keenan -- Head Coach, Emile Francis/Colin Campbell (assistant coaches)

The game will be televised, this year on Versus. In past years, it had a home on NHL Network.

Flyers' Winter Classic jerseys revealed

Lindros could return to Philly for Winter Classic

by Bob Herpen

Phanatic Hockey Editor

This will no doubt be one of those "sit down before your read" stories for Flyers fans of a certain age...

No marquee player in Flyers franchise history is the subject of more intense scrutiny or polarized opinions than Eric Lindros.

Last seen in Orange and Black in May of 2000, the now 38-year-old — 19 years removed from his rookie campaign – has been estranged from the organization since his 2000-01 holdout which eventually led to then-GM Bob Clarke shipping him to the New York Rangers for three players.

The native of Oshawa, Ontario was last heard from in September of 2008, in a brief videotaped message to the fans during the club’s final appearance in the Spectrum.

Many have wondered if The Next One could ever be welcomed back to the fold.

On Tuesday, an interview surfaced from The Hockey Writers, one which just so happens to be conducted with Philly’s Prodigal Son of the 1990s. In the body of the piece comes this little exchange, which will set the hearts of all Lindros fans aflutter with possibilities:

Q: There have been some rumors going around in Philly that you’ve been invited to play in the Winter Classic Alumni game. Is there any truth to that?

Eric Lindros: I talked with [Flyers GM] Paul Holmgren about a month or five weeks back and we chatted about it. That’d be great if I could see Mikael Renberg again, and Johnny LeClair. I haven’t seen Johnny in a couple of years. That would be a lot of fun. Also possibly we could set up something along the lines where we could do something for CHOP (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia), maybe have a lunch or do something along those lines. We could bring in hockey fans and chat a little bit about what we’re up to and sign a bunch of stuff.

Q: So have you made a decision to definitely come down for that or is it still up in the air at this point?

Eric Lindros: I haven’t talked to Paul since we initially spoke a couple of times but it sounds like a great time.

While it doesn’t really smack of a confirmation -- unlike the rush to act like it is by certain members of the professional online community -- it does leave the door open not only for Big 88 to return, but for the entire Legion of Doom to be reunited for the Alumni Game which will take place on New Year’s Eve.

This would be a HUGE step for the club to recognize a brief, but important renaissance which took place between 1995 and Lindros’ controversial concussion in March of 2000. It is well past time.

That era, defined by Lindros as much as the Flyers’ exciting, but ultimately futile, attempts to restore glory to the franchise, has gotten little publicity in the intervening years.

When the club chose to release its Top 10 games during its 40th Anniversary celebrations, all of the Lindros Era was passed over. In the introductory video to that 2006-07 season, the 90′s consist of Mark Recchi’s single-season team-record 120th point in 1993, Rod Brind’Amour’s power-play goal in Game 2 of the ’97 Finals, Eric Desjardins’ OT score in Game 1 of the ’95 Eastern semis against the Rangers…and a brief flash of Lindros after scoring an unidentified goal.

It was not nearly enough to honor a brief but fantastic ride which did, in fact, include many great players and moments that had nothing to do with the hulking center who was constantly overshadowed by his meddlesome father/agent.

Whatever occurred in the past, this is excellent news. The Phanatic first got wind of the situation from sources at the home opener last Wednesday. It definitely set off our radar despite what could be termed as ridiculously hyperbolic build-up to the actual secret.

But frankly, it’s not a stretch to think that something of that magnitude could include Lindros, as he’s the one piece to this team’s historic puzzle that has been conspicuously absent.

NHL's worst-kept secret officially revealed

Ending months of speculation and confirming what had already been leaked to dozens of sources, on Monday afternoon, the National Hockey League officially announced the 2012 Winter Classic.

Here's all you need to know.

2011 Winter Classic show will go on, weather or not

Courtesy of ESPN

Pittsburgh, PA -- The ice is ready, but will there be hockey?

"We're going to play," NHL chief operating officer John Collins said Thursday at a news conference.

Weather forecasts for Saturday's Winter Classic at Heinz Field continue to be gloomy, calling for rain showers. Some forecasts Thursday lowered the probability of rain to 80 percent but other reports kept it at 100 percent.

Collins, the brains behind the Winter Classic, shrugged off the scary forecasts.

"Weather is part of the game's DNA," Collins said. "I mean, it's an outdoor game. Like the World Series, weather gets involved in it. We're going to play. We're planning to play at 1 o'clock. We've got maximum flexibility to do what needs [to be done] to get that game in on Saturday."

Should the game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals not be played Saturday, however, the league's Plan B is a game time of noon ET Sunday, still at Heinz Field.

But Collins made it clear every effort will be made to play it Saturday, even if it means playing through weather delays. They can play into the evening, if they have to.

"We'll gather as much information as we possibly can to make sure that we're taking into account the competitive integrity of the game and the safety of the players and obviously the convenience of the fans," Collins said.

Collins has studied weather reports for the city of Pittsburgh going back 30 years.

"I don't really want to be taken to task on this, but I'm not sure it's ever rained on New Year's in Pittsburgh," Collins said, smiling.

Hockey fans just have to adopt the mentality of baseball fans, Collins said. Weather may interrupt the game, but it'll eventually be completed. If it takes four or five hours, so be it.

"I think everybody associated with the game, from the broadcast partners to our corporate partners to our licensees and I think our fans, understand what they're getting into for this," Collins said.

The first Winter Classic in Buffalo was delayed for just a few minutes when Zambonis came out mid-period to resurface the ice in the midst of a snowfall.

This time, like baseball, it could be rain delays.

So be it.

"I can't see that we wouldn't be able to get this game in," Collins said.