The NHL officially announced today that the Flyers will play the Boston Bruins in this year’s Winter Classic, which will be played at legendary Fenway Park.
Most expected the game would feature the Flyers and Bruins but today’s press conference made the news official for the New Year’s Day showdown. "Just picture it, two great teams with the Green Monster as a backdrop," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in announcing the news.
Luckily for the Flyers, this decision was taken out of Bettman’s hands. It was rumored that Bettman wanted to showcase Alex Ovechkin’s Capitals in this year’s game but because of a new two-year agreement between the NHL and NBC, Bettman was forced to put the Flyers on the bill. NBC wanted a guarantee that the game would draw huge ratings and the Flyers are Old Faithful in that department. This forced entry speaks enormous volumes for Flyers fans not only in the region, but nationwide.
The NHL and NBC are hopeful that the 2010 Winter Classic can best the previous two. It will be a tough act to follow considering last year’s game set a record for the most watched regular season hockey game in U.S. television history with 5.6 million viewers tuned in for the spectacle.
