Is the 2010 Winter Classic Losing Some of its Luster?

In just over three weeks, the NHL will stage its annual Winter Classic at Fenway Park, where the Bruins will skate out against the Philadelphia Flyers, but I can’t help but wonder, given the recent follies and fumbles of the Flyers, injuries, and the ever looming shadow of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, has the signature event lost some of it sheen for the 2009-10 season?

If the answer is “yes,” then its in no small part because of the recent happenings in Flyerdom.  With their recent slumping, the original detractors who were bewildered at the choosing of the Flyers over Ovechkin the Capitals might only get louder if the Orange and Black continue their losing ways.  And If you had logged on to a Flyers message board when news broke out about Coach John Stevens firing–and it didn’t take long for Flyers fans to sound the horn about incoming Peter Laviolette’s enacted playoff policy of “no fighting”–you would’ve thought there was a mass exodus of Flyers fans walking away from the game. Already tiring of the their team’s lackluster and uninspiring play, having to now tolerate a coach who might sweep the “bullying” off of Broad Street seemed too much for some.

Then, in short order, resident pugilist Dan Carcillo signs his name in Colin Campbell’s guest book for the 2009-10 season by sucker punching Matt Bradley of the Capitals in what turned out to be a lopsided Washington win.  When a four-game suspension followed, you could sense that Flyers fans might see a somewhat “neutered” team going forward. While a better behaved Flyers team should translate into a jump in the standings, does it mean we took one step forward and two steps back in terms of seeing the Winter Classic’s first fight? (And could you imagine a suspendable offense occuring during the Winter Classic? The horror! The horror! Bettman might tether a third referee to Pronger.)

That, of course, brings me to injuries.  As it stands now, the Bruins will possibly be without Milan Lucic when they skate at Fenway.  That, in and of itself, could put a severe damper on the mood of those expecting a good, rollicking throw-down. (Replacing the glass, however, might not be an issue.) Lucic remains optimistic, to be sure, but isn’t a tilt against the Flyers a little less appealing without Loosh? Absolutely.  On the other side of the ice, the Flyers will now be without their no. 1 netminder, as Ray Emery is out for six weeks after undergoing successful surgery for an abdominal tear. (And the hopes for a brouhaha fade away even further….) But the Classic isn’t about fighting, it’s about showcasing the game and the talent that play it, and not having two of the most intriguing personalities of either team–let alone the league–on the ice has to tarnish this tilt somewhat, no? There are other injuries, for sure, but these two absences will really sting, in my opinion. (Jeff Carter is injured too, right. I mean, I haven’t seen him of late. At all. Oh, two goals the other night? Huh.)

Now, to be fair, I might be one of the first to test the waters with this one, but could the approaching Olympics also steal some thunder, so to speak, from the NHL’s signature season game? Olympic fervor could be at a pretty high pitch come January, especially for Canadians who, again, get to see two American teams play outdoors. The casual fan could easily overlook an outdoor game staged on their favorite “I don’t have to get up for anything” holiday, especially knowing that the World Cup on Ice is coming in February. Sure, the work stoppage is over a month away from then–and, understandably, successful viewership of the Classic isn’t necessarily measured across borders–but is it overstatement to suggest that Canadians and the casual fan alike have that much less of a twinkle in their eye when it comes to this year’s Winter Classic? Maybe. But it’s something to consider nonetheless.

In the end, though, the Winter Classic shouldn’t really suffer in spite of those concerns, and deliver. I, for one, immediately dismissed the early grumblings about the NHL “missing out” on not including an Ovechkin or a storied rival such as Montreal–afterall, both the Flyers and Bruins are chock-full of high caliber players (and if a “superstarless” Nashville or an Atlanta or a Minnesota is going to participate in the future, then we should get past that, right?) In fact, just watching the NHL’s Winter Classic commerical spot reminds me of how perfectly matched up these two teams might be, with or without a Lucic or an Emery.