The NHL says that teams should ‘think out of the box’ when pitching for the Classic. Well, here’s an out of the box proposal. Play the Classic on the Mall in DC.

Yes, yes … the NHL would forfeit a huge amount of money in gate receipts, but it may be worth it. This could be publicity that no amount of money could buy.

A free event could be turned into a Woodstock for NHL fans. Hundreds of thousands could attend the game on the Mall. Sure, only a small number of folks would actually have a good view of the ice directly, but the Mall could be divided up into team pavilions, each with huge video screens and vendors. Being there is all that matters.

A Capital to Capital Classic could feature the Senators vs. the Capitals. How many Canadian folks would decide to spend the holiday in Washington? The number would be large, very large. The Canadian Embassy would be decked out like never before. For the NHL sponsors (the folks who really matter), there are lots of high-end venues that can be created. What sponsor wouldn’t want to be invited to a fancy shindig at the Canadian Embassy? Maybe Putin could be convinced to attend and do some promotion for the next Winter Olympics in Russia. NBC (if they’re carrying the next Winter Olympics) could certainly get on board for that. And if that were to happen, maybe a certain resident on Pennsylvania Ave. would finally attend a game. Yeah, that might get some publicity.

I know I’d book my Amtrak tickets in a heartbeat.

how do the philly fans not deserve the game? one of the best, if not the best attendance records for the entire NHL since they came into the league.

Let’s see in 2010*, the Winter Classic drew a 2.6 rating, at the same time the Capitol One Bowl pulled in a 6.8. You tell me what’s meaningless? The Gator Bowl, played also at 1:00 Eastern drew a 4.3 rating. So college football is pulling an 11 while the NHL is pulling in a 2.6. That’s competition.

As an avid sports fan in general, I know that I’m forced to flip between bowl games and hockey, with college football often winning. For all the hoopla over the Winter Classic it’s still just a regular season game, one of 82.

*I used 2010 numbers because of the oddness of last year’s Primetime game.

The Philadelphia fans don’t deserve such a game, but it makes sense to host it in Philly.

Other than football, there is absolutely nothing going on New Year’s Day. It’s the perfect day to host the game. The Winter Classic is already a showcase.

The Winter Classic also needs to be turned into some sort of showcase for the defending Stanley Cup Champions. I realize that you can’t hold a “Winter Classic” in San Jose or Tampa Bay (if it comes to that this year), but there needs to be a way to get the “Champs” involved. Not just from a marketing perspective, but as a reward for a great season.

The NHL doesn’t have a big “Kickoff Weekend/Week” like MLB’s Opening Day or the NFL, there’s just too much sports competition going on in October. The average fan probably starts paying attention to hockey in January, when the NFL season winds down. A moved Winter Classic would be a great kickoff to that part of the calendar year, and a great reintroduction to the game for the casual fan. I know that those of you who read this blog watch all season long, but that’s probably the exception and not the rule.

*Not really a “classic” since the word “classic” implies some level of tradition.