The Canadiens have "long been rumored" to play an outdoor game in '17-18 in Ottawa against the Senators to commemorate the first NHL game ever played back in 1917, but the meeting with the Senators "might not be the only time the Canadiens head outdoors" next season, according to Jared Clinton of THE HOCKEY NEWS. Clinton cited a report from French-language TVA Sports' Renaud Lavoie, which said that the NHL is "considering playing the first outdoor game" of the '17-18 campaign in Montreal to coincide with the 100-year anniversary of the league’s birth. The plan would be for an outdoor game to be "played in late-November, which would mark nearly 100 years to the day since the league was officially formed." The exact anniversary date is Nov. 26, 2017. If there is an outdoor game in Montreal, the "most likely locale appears to be Molson Stadium." That said, there may need to be some "temporary upgrades if Molson Stadium is the venue chosen by the league for the outdoor game." The stadium "currently seats roughly 23,400" (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 1/4). SPORTSNET.ca's Elliotte Friedman noted for the city of Ottawa, the "wish is the Senators host Montreal on Dec. 19, 2017 at TD Place Stadium." Meanwhile, West Point is the "leader in the clubhouse until told otherwise" to host the Winter Classic. There was a report Monday that the location "was out because the rink would not meet specifications, but a couple of sources disputed it." There was also hope Panthers Owner & Chair Vinnie Viola's "ascension to Secretary of Army might help the NHL's bid to go there" (SPORTSNET.ca, 1/3).
EVERYONE WANTS A TURN: YAHOO SPORTS' Greg Wyshynski wrote the Blues this week became just the 11th team to play in the Winter Classic and it is a "shame ... that more teams aren’t privileged to take part." Wyshynski: "There are mitigating factors: NBC wants the usual suspects who drive ratings, and the NHL is scared to death of trying something that results in the game being less than standing-room only." But there are hockey towns that "deserve outdoor games." Fan bases for teams like the Blue Jackets and Predators are "overdue," and Lightning fans would "turn an outdoor game into a massive party" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 1/3).
