NY Rangers, Buffalo Sabres Prepare to Brave the Cold for NHL Winter Classic
While most people will stay bundled up at home nursing their hangovers on New Year’s Day, hardcore hockey fans are heading to Citi Field for the 2018 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic between the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers.
The NHL rivals — led by Henrik Lundqvist and Jack Eichel — will play on a specially-prepared rink at the stadium in Queens, New York, which is normally home to the N.Y. Mets baseball team.
The outdoor game has been a special event on the NHL schedule since 2008, when the first Winter Classic was played in Buffalo between the Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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This year’s game will bring new meaning to hockey weather, as New Yorkers are facing the second coldest New Year’s Eve on record. It’s not deterring hockey fans, though. They will be bundled up and facing the elements at the iconic spectacle as the puck drops at 1 p.m. ET., when it is forecast to be 16 degrees (but sunny!).
Citi Field has already been transformed for the 10th annual Winter Classic, with the baseball field replaced by a full-size hockey rink and the home-run apple decorated with the Winter Classic emblem.
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The outfield has been given a very New York feel with yellow taxi cabs parked in neat lines, waiting for rides.
The 2018 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Citi Field airs Jan. 1, 2018, at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.
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