Boston’s Fenway Park has been dramatically converted into a hockey rink for the New Year’s Day Bridgestone/NHL Winter Classic. The puck drops for the face-off between the Boston Bruins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers at 1 p.m., airing live on NBC.
Coverage will also be provided by several Canadian media outlets.
Throughout the Christmas week’s ongoing sports coverage, the network has been running time-lapse photography showing the fabled Fenway baseball diamond being transformed into a jewel of an outdoor ice surface to host the longtime National Hockey League rivals.
“A unique event deserves a unique venue, and we are delighted the Bruins and Flyers will renew their rivalry with the ‘Green Monster’ providing the backdrop,” noted NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman as Bridgestone announced that it was continuing the now-annual holiday extravaganza.
As the title sponsor Bridgestone is also showcasing its status as the Official Tire of the NHL and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) to a broadening viewing audience.
Last season’s Winter Classic attracted 5.6 million North American TV viewers and gathered more than 750,000 visitors on NHL.com. The 2009 event at Chicago’s Wrigley Field drew 41,818 to the historic ballpark, with demand for tickets exceeding 240,000.
It was named as the SportsBusiness Journal’s “Sports Event of the Year” award for its inaugural edition in 2008.
“The Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic has become a huge annual event in the sports world, which provides great exposure for our Bridgestone Brand,” says John Baratta, the tire maker’s president of consumer replacement tire sales. “Having this year’s Winter Classic in Fenway Park, one of the truly iconic venues in sports, will only add to the excitement level and fan interest surrounding this year’s event.”
“The players of the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers are extremely excited to participate in an outdoor game within the confines of historic Fenway Park,” says Paul Kelly, the NHLPA’s executive director. “This is special for the players, getting a chance to reconnect with their roots by playing the game outdoors. I am sure that this event will be something that they will all remember as a highlight in their careers.”
For more information, visit www.bridgestone-firestone.com.
