Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin will square off in what could be the first of two outdoor games during the 2010-11 NHL season.
The NHL announced on Friday that the 2011 NHL Winter Classic will feature the Penguins hosting the Capitals from Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field. The game will take place in its customary 1 PM timeslot on New Year’s Day and air on NBC.
This is the second time the Penguins have been involved in the Winter Classic. They were the road team during inaugural event in ’08.
Last year’s Winter Classic between the Bruins and Flyers drew a 2.1 final rating on NBC, the lowest in the event’s young history.
The Winter Classic could be one of two outdoor games during the NHL season. The league has tentatively scheduled another outdoor game, which would pit the Canadiens against the Flames at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium.
The game, which has not yet been approved, would take place on February 20 and air on Versus.
