Calgary Winter Classic Game Good PR Move for NHL in Canada

With the recent news broken by ESPN that the NHL is going to host a double-header on New Year's Day, 2010, I let out a sigh of relief. The news that the league was planning a second Winter Classic game in Calgary, to be played against a rival Canadian team, proves that the NHL front office is, in fact, aware that the country exists. Inside Canada's hockey circles, there is an increasing sense of paranoia that the league no longer cares about the fans that care the most about it. With the recent setback facing Jim Balsillie's efforts to shanghai the Phoenix Coyotes, Canadian hockey fans needed a moral victory.   They needed evidence that the league hadn't forgotten about them in their tunnel vision to force the game upon Southern Americans. The NHL's Winter Classic Game in Calgary is exactly the right move at this point in time. While Calgary's McMahon Stadium isn't as historic as Wrigley Field or as sexy as Fenway Park, it is important that the League make some concessions to keep ... (link)