Winter Classic games get good ratings despite bad hockey games

There is no question that the Winter Classic games are a rating success. Despite the fact that hardly anyone in America watches a regular season NHL game, there seems to be a lot of interest in the Winter Classic game. Most likely because it's considered a novelty game.

Early ratings are excellent. NBC averaged a 1.8 rating among adults 18-49 and 4.56 million viewers in primetime Saturday night (8-11 PM), according to preliminary data. The network won the night among the Big Four broadcast networks in the demo, edging second-place FOX (1.6). The network finished third for the night in viewership, behind CBS (6.14 mil), and FOX (4.77 mil).

The night game worked to the NHL/NBC's advantage and I could see it becoming the norm. The game looked so much better under the lights. Also the Crosby vs. Ovechkin hype was nauseating but it worked as well. But you can't just feature Pittsburgh and Washington every year. Every marquee U.S. team and every iconic stadium has pretty much been featured. However, I don't see NBC not insisting on Crosby and the Penguins again next year. Maybe a game with the cross-state rivals, the Flyers. Canadian team are going to be shut out of the Winter Classic. This is strictly an American feature which means there will continue to be a threat of spring-like conditions.

But I think that the ice and weather conditions prevent the players from showcasing their talents. Either extreme cold, snow or rain take away from the game. That is why the game moved indoors over a 100 years ago. This first year in Buffalo had so much snow that the game had to be stopped periodically to remove the snow. The snow slowed do the puck and affected passing, shooting and stickhandling. The same holds true for the rainy and soggy ice at Heinz Field last night. I give credit to the players who quickly adapted to the conditions but those adaptions meant less playmaking and puck control which is a shame because both teams have some very skilled players. Much credit goes to Dan Craig was able to maintain the ice at a level that allowed the game to be played. But it would be a lie to say the ice was good.

The irony is that the NHL uses the Winter Classic to showcase the league and succeeds in attracting a large audience. However the game does not showcase the players' extraordinary talent. That is a shame.