The Rangers "will face the Flyers in the NHL Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park" on Monday, Jan. 2, at 8:00pm ET, according to sources cited by Steve Zipay of NEWSDAY. The outdoor game, which will be broadcast by NBC, "will be confirmed officially with the release of the NHL schedule this week." The event "will include HBO's '24/7' series as a lead-in." The previous Winter Classics were staged on Jan. 1, but that is a Sunday next year, and NBC is "committed to an NFL broadcast" (NEWSDAY, 6/22). In N.Y., Jeff Klein reports the Rangers-Flyers Winter Classic was "confirmed by an official briefed on the decision." An NHL spokesperson said that the release of the league's schedule "could happen as soon as" tomorrow (N.Y. TIMES, 6/22).
SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY: The Coyotes and Stars yesterday announced that they "will play a preseason game Sept. 23 at Reliant Stadium in Houston." The Stars said that they "will have further details when they announce" their preseason schedule next week. In Dallas, Mike Heika writes, "The game is intriguing on a number of levels. ... It is being held at a football stadium, and that will spark all sorts of talk about whether or not a Winter Classic can be held in the south" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 6/22). In Ft. Worth, Mac Engel wrote, "Don't think for a second the NHL isn't going to look at this venue and how this thing goes as a test to determine whether the Winter Classic can be held in the south" (STAR-TELEGRAM.com, 6/21).
