The NY Post’s Larry Brooks confirms that the Rangers will be
announced as participants in the 2012 Winter Classic when the schedule for next
season is released later today.
The game is scheduled to be held January 2nd in Philadelphia against the
Flyers, who played in the Winter Classic in 2010.
The allure of the outdoor game increased exponentially last
year thanks to HBO’s “24/7: Road to the Winter Classic” which took fans behind
the scenes with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals leading up to
the game.
The Blueshirts will be one of the subjects of this year’s
show and are sure draw lots of league-wide attention thanks to the multitude of
subplots surrounding the team.
Here are some of the things to look forward to on “24/7”:
John Tortorella. The
colorful coach has been involved with public confrontations with the media
several times before, and that was without HBO’s cameras shoved in his face at
every moment. Tortorella may try to tone
down his act, but the Rangers’ coach may have trouble maintaining control after
a bad loss or two. Tortorella may give
Bruce Boudreau a run for his money.
Young chemistry. One
of the things we constantly hear about the importance of developing homegrown
talent is that it’s essential for players to spend years together on and off
the ice to develop chemistry. The young
Rangers developed nicely last year and it will certainly be interesting to see
how they interact behind closed doors.
Sean Avery. The left
wing has one of the most intriguing personalities in sports and even if he’s
not a huge part of New York’s
plans this season, he’s sure to get plenty of air time. HBO will have a field day following Avery on
shopping trips and around New York
City followed by a scene of him punching an opponent
in the face later the same night.
Henrik Lundqvist’s competitiveness. Lundqvist is renowned for being as
competitive as they come and the HBO special should give us a pretty good look
at just how intense Lundqvist is in the locker room before and after games. We’ve seen Lundqvist beat himself up in
postgame press conferences, but this should take it to a whole new level.
The rivalry. The
Flyers and Rangers aren’t exactly friends and unlike Pittsburgh
and Washington,
this hatred hasn’t been born over just the last few years. The distaste between these two teams is
palpable and assuming each is in the thick of the playoff hunt next year, these
games should be fun to watch.
Glen Sather uncovered? Sather has been an extremely polarizing figure during his tenure with
the Blueshirts and in recent years he’s done his best to stay away from cameras
and microphones. Capitals GM George McGhee
wasn’t a main character on last year’s “24/7,” but he was involved. There’s a chance we’ll get a closer look at
how Slats operates.
Add your favorites below!
Season Review:
Breaking Down The Defense >
Breaking Down The Goalies >
Breaking Down The Offense >
Breaking Down The Prospects >
How Three Free Agent Signings In 2007 Have Shaped The Eastern Conference >
Spotlight On Glen Sather >
Spotlight On John Tortorella >
Rangers Land Tim Erixon: What Does It Mean?
More Erixon Trade Fallout >
What The Rangers Can Learn From The Bruins >
Rangers Will Face Stiff Competition In The East In 2011-2012 >
6 Great Potential Subplots Of Next Year's "24/7: Road to the Winter Classic" >
Player Reviews:
Spotlight On Mats Zuccarello >
Spotlight On Brian Boyle >
Spotlight On Matt Gilroy >
Spotlight On Ruslan Fedotenko >
Spotlight On Brandon Prust >
Spotlight On Bryan McCabe >
Spotlight On Alex Frolov >
Spotlight On Michael Del Zotto >
Spotlight On Martin Biron >
Spotlight On Brandon Dubinsky >
Spotlight On Marc Staal >
Spotlight On Steve Eminger >
Spotlight On Henrik Lundqvist >
Spotlight On Wojtek Wolski >
Spotlight On Sean Avery >
Spotlight On Dan Girardi >
Spotlight On Erik Christensen >
Spotlight On Ryan McDonagh >
Spotlight On Vinny Prospal >
Spotlight On Derek Stepan >
Spotlight On Marian Gaborik >
Spotlight On Chris Drury >
Spotlight On Artem Anisimov >
Spotlight On Mike Sauer >
Spotlight On Ryan Callahan >
Free Agency:
Plan A: Sign Brad Richards >
Plan B: Trade For A Top Center >
Plan C: Stick With The Status Quo At Center >
Plan D: Add An Offensive Winger >
