It appears this year’s edition of the Winter Classic finally has a venue. The Blackhawks and Capitals will meet at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., on New Year’s Day, according to Scott Burnside of ESPN.com.
The home of the Washington Nationals was long considered the most likely location to host the NHL’s annual outdoor game, compared to other options like FedEx Field and RFK Stadium. As Burnside notes, Nats Park “has been the preferred location for the game from the moment it was formally announced almost a year ago the Capitals would host the event.”
This is definitely good news, as any of the alternatives would’ve required making significant concessions. I went to college in D.C., and can fairly say that FedEx or RFK would’ve been far less convenient options for hosting a hockey game. Getting to Nats Park is just an easy Metro ride from most parts of the city.
The Blackhawks last played in the Winter Classic in 2009, when they hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field. The NHL now plays several outdoor games each season, of course, as part of its recent Stadium Series.
Anyway, if you’re looking to take in an outdoor Hawks game in the nation’s capital, now you know where it’ll be played. Too bad they couldn’t put it on The Mall, though.