Go Outside and Play

They did it once...



Now they're thinking about doing it again.

If the National Hockey League moves forward with its plans to stage another outdoor hockey game, the Buffalo Sabres appear to be the front-runners to host the event in Ralph Wilson Stadium.

No announcement will be made when the NHL releases its 2007-08 schedule at 2:30 this afternoon, and neither the league nor the Sabres would comment publicly Tuesday.

Yet sources around the NHL have indicated the Sabres would land the game, probably on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day against the Pittsburgh Penguins, if myriad logistical issues can be finalized by the end of the month.

Such an event would give Sabres fans a reason to get excited after a deflating week in which co-captains Daniel Briere and Chris Drury left town and management was cornered into signing top goal scorer Thomas Vanek to the richest contract in Buffalo sports history.

Published reports last month stated the league was interested in offering an outdoor game to be broadcast on NBC.

Earlier reports indicated a possible outdoor game being played at Yankee Stadium between the Rangers and Islanders. That I think would've been totally cool. Sounds like that possibility has fallen through for now though. This one in Buffalo, particularly if it involves the Penguins or say the Wings would be a great alternative, which I believe couldn't help but generate a lot of interest and publicity for the sport and the league.

IF they can pull it off... and that's a big if.

Anyways, as far as that first outdoor game, here's a funny piece by Raj Binder on that contest played by the Oilers and Montreal Canadiens in front of 56,000 freezing fans in Edmonton.



Personally, I'm hoping there's more of these games to come.