January 3, 2012, Winter Classic column for HockeyPrimeTime.com

Another successful Classic can't wash over issues

Columns

Written by Denis Gorman

Tuesday, January 03, 2012 01:09

The Winter Classic was an unquestioned success but the league is facing other issues such as concussions, head shots, financially struggling franchises and another round of collective bargaining. In no way does one game overshadow these issues. PHILADELPHIA — Leave it to a man who makes his living with words to best describe the NHL’s New Year’s Weekend in Philadelphia. “What an atmosphere,” former New York Rangers defenseman and current Madison Square Garden network analyst Dave Maloney said while sitting at his stall inside the visitors’ locker room at Citizens Bank Park late Saturday afternoon following the Flyers Alumni 3-1 win over the Rangers Alumni.“Oh my God. It was spine-tingling. Just an honor to be asked. The whole thing was great; couldn’t be better.” Variations of Maloney’s 23 words were used throughout the New Year’s Weekend in Philadelphia as the fifth annual Winter Classic was an unqualified success. The Rangers' dramatic 3-2 come-from-behind win over the Flyers was simply captivating as the the longtime Atlantic Division rivals conspired to play a mean game, featuring hard hits and harder insults. Did we forget to mention Henrik Lundqvist stopped Danny Briere on a penalty shot attempt with 20 seconds left? “Yeah, it’s pretty crazy. It’s how it is against the Flyers. Games are going to be close,” Rangers captain Ryan Callahan said. “We bunkered down there at the end of the period and defended well. Hank came up with the huge stop to save the game for us.” The weekend is a showcase for the league and the two franchises selected to play in the game. As part of being chosen to represent the NHL, the teams must open their doors to HBO cameras and microphones. Both John Tortorella and Peter Laviolette mentioned during the weekend that as much as the organizations welcomed the honor to compete in the Winter Classic and the opportunity to introduce the sport and their franchises to the public at large, the coaches were looking forward to not having to share their dressing rooms and team flights with interlopers. “HBO is the big thing about it," Laviolette said. "The Winter Classic is a tremendous event, and our organization is thrilled to be a part of it. To play in an atmosphere like tonight, you know, the only thing disappointing for us was the result. HBO is what makes it, having the cameras around, the way they put on the show for the last month, is very different from what's normal in the hockey world. "And in saying that, HBO did a tremendous job of handling themselves with a ton of class and a ton of respect to our organization and what we need to do. You know, I think the product speaks for itself. That comes out on Wednesday nights. Yeah, we are all ready to say goodbye to HBO.” Still for all of the Winter Classic’s success, does the NHL’s pre-eminent in-season event overshadow problems facing the league? Absolutely not. Too many of the league’s players have missed time due to concussions. The league has not stood firm on its no tolerance of headshots mandate; that the Phoenix Coyotes’ Raffi Torres was fined $2,500 Saturday for his elbow to the back of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jan Hejda’s head was more disgraceful than any of Colin Campbell’s inept attempts at supplementary discipline. The league announced Monday afternoon that Torres was suspended two games for charging Minnesota’s Nate Prosser in Phoenix’s 4-2 win on New Year’s Eve. What an unforgettable message. Serial offenders are sure to take notice and change their ways. Moreover, many franchises are struggling financially. It has been reported that the New Jersey Devils are close to filing for bankruptcy. The New York Islanders have publicly stated that they cannot compete on a level financial playing field until they receive a new building or permission to build a new arena. Phoenix has not had a profitable season since relocating from Winnipeg in 1996. The league does have potholes to negotiate. Yet in the immediate aftermath the NHL, and specifically Philadelphia, should bask in the glow of a job well done. Oh, and there’s that silly little matter of the league and the NHLPA negotiating a new CBA. For those that don’t think that those issues could slow the league’s present and future, you may have a future as a professional wrestling referee. Big-picture, the league does have potholes to negotiate. Yet in the immediate aftermath the NHL, and specifically Philadelphia, should bask in the glow of a job well done. “The crowd was terrific. The fans here in Philadelphia, the City of Philadelphia, were great,” NHL commisioner Gary Bettman said. “It was spectacular. We could not have asked for any more from the event. And I think the Alumni Game was a great appetizer to the main event today -- having 45,000 people in here on Saturday -- and just the entire reception in the city, the buzz throughout the city and the crowd today was great. “This was just a terrific event for us and we are grateful to everybody who was involved, particularly and including the City of Philadelphia.” On Twitter: @HockeyPrimeTime (http://twitter.com/#!/hockeyprimetime) and @DenisGorman (http://twitter.com/#!/denisgorman)

Last Updated on Tuesday, January 03, 2012 03:35

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