The NHL Winter Classic is not returning to New Year’s Day, but after a record-low performance last week, nor is it staying on New Year’s Eve.
The NHL announced Wednesday that next year’s Winter Classic is scheduled for Friday, January 2, a shift from this past season, when the event took place on New Year’s Eve. The annual outdoor game is set to pit the Florida Panthers against the New York Rangers from LoanDepot Park in Miami, by far the warmest locale in the history of the event.
Barring any scheduling changes akin to what occurred this year, the January 2 date will allow the Winter Classic to completely avoid College Football Playoff games.
The Winter Classic has taken place on January 2 before, but only in years when New Year’s Day fell on a Sunday — making January 2 the day on which the holiday was legally observed.
Coverage will continue to air on TNT, which owns rights to the Winter Classic as part of its media rights deal with the league.
The Winter Classic has hit all-time record lows in viewership the past two seasons, with the most recent edition falling below the million viewer mark in the aforementioned New Year’s Eve slot.
