Wrigley winds won't favor either team in Classic
Wind blowing in?
Wind blowing out?
In the end it won't really matter when the Blackhawks host the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field on New Year's Day in the Winter Classic.
That's because, just like in last year's inaugural game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Hawks and the Wings will switch sides midway through the third period to ensure neither has an advantage at the occasionally breezy North Side ballpark.
"I know that plan is in place for this game, so if those Wrigley winds are blowing out to right field, they will flip the teams' direction after the halfway point of the third period," said NBC coordinating producer Sam Flood on Monday during a conference call promoting the network's coverage of the Classic.
Last year, when the event was played in front of more than 70,000 under snowy conditions at Ralph Wilson Stadium at Orchard Park, N.Y., the teams switched ends in the third period, with a buzzer going off at the 10-minute mark stopping play.
This year's game at Wrigley Field is expected to draw more than 40,000.
The NHL's only other outdoor game that counted was the Heritage Classic played in November 2003, when the Montreal Canadiens beat the host Edmonton Oilers.
Last year's Winter Classic earned NBC a 2.6 overnight rating and a 5 share, the best overnight NHL regular-season rating in more than a decade.
The Red Wings, the defending Stanley Cup champions, will be playing at the same time on New Year's Day as the Capital One Bowl that features Michigan State against Georgia in Orlando, Fla.
Asked if he was concerned that the Spartans' bowl appearance might cut into Michigan viewers who normally would watch the Red Wings, Flood said he's not worried.
"Last time I checked Detroit was called 'Hockey Town,' right?" he said.
"So I am fully confident that 'Hockey Town' is going to be there for the hockey game. And, more importantly, you can't see the Red Wings playing outdoors every day."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.