2015 NHL Winter Classic

Outdoor National Hockey League game in Washington, D.C. January 2014 yes 2015 NHL Winter Classic Nhlwinterclassic-primary-2015.png Chicago Blackhawks Washington Capitals 2 3 1 1 0 2 0 1 January 1, 2015 Nationals Park Washington, D.C. 42,832 2014 2016 The 2015 NHL Winter Classic was an outdoor ice hockey game played in the National Hockey League (NHL) on January 1, 2015, at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. The seventh edition of the Winter Classic, it matched the Chicago Blackhawks against the Washington Capitals.http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=723369 https://web.archive.org/web/20140625190339/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=723369 dead June 25, 2014 Winter Classic, rivalries highlight 2014-15 schedule NHL.com June 22, 2014 June 22, 2014 The Capitals won, 3–2, after right winger Troy Brouwer scored the go-ahead goal with less than 13 seconds remaining in regulation play. This marked the first time in Winter Classic history that the home team won in regulation. The game garnered an attendance of 42,832, and was televised nationally in the United States on NBC and in Canada on CBC. The 2015 Winter Classic marked the Capitals' second victory in as many outdoor games (the first being in the 2011 NHL Winter Classic), and the Blackhawks' second loss in three outdoor games (the previous two being a loss in the 2009 NHL Winter Classic and a victory in the 2014 NHL Stadium Series). The game was one of two to be held outdoors during the 2014–15 NHL season, the other being the 2015 NHL Stadium Series in February. Background Site selection NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman promised before the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals in Chicago that the Capitals would get to host the Winter Classic within two or three years. However, the 2013 NHL Winter Classic was postponed by a year due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout, and the Capitals therefore had to wait until at least 2015 to host the Winter Classic.LeBrun Pierre Capitals get 2015 Winter Classic https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/9697171/washington-capitals-host-winter-classic-new-year-day-2015 ESPN.com ESPN December 24, 2013 September 21, 2013 Stadium selection The Baltimore–Washington metroplex has several stadiums that meet the NHL's criteria for hosting the Winter Classic, and speculation included RFK Stadium and Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.; FedExField in Landover, Maryland; and Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. A desire to keep the game in the city proper and Nationals Park's more modern amenities made Nationals Park the early favorite. thumb|Nationals Park in hockey configuration prior to the 2015 NHL Winter Classic. Reflective tarps covered part of the ice to protect the surface from the sun. On September 10, 2014, the NHL confirmed the game would be played at Nationals Park.http://capitalstoday.monumentalnetwork.com/2014/09/10/nationals-park-to-host-capitals-vs-blackhawks-in-2015-bridgestone-nhl-winter-classic Nationals Park to Host Capitals vs. Blackhawks in 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic September 10, 2014 September 10, 2014 Opponent selection On June 20, 2014, nine months after the Capitals were named as hosts, the media reported they would play the Chicago Blackhawks,LeBrun Pierre Caps, Blackhawks to play in Classic https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/11111890/washington-capitals-play-chicago-blackhawks-2015-winter-classic ESPN.com ESPN June 20, 2014 June 20, 2014 although the NHL did not immediately confirm the reports until they announced the 2014–15 regular season schedule two days later. This marked the second Winter Classic appearance for both the Capitals and the Blackhawks. In the 2009 Winter Classic, the Blackhawks lost to the Detroit Red Wings 4–6. In the 2011 Winter Classic, the Capitals defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3–1. Uniforms Chicago's jerseys were based on their 1957 jerseys, white with red and black striping on the bottom, lace-up collars and the tomahawk logo near the elbows.Jhaveri Hemal The Chicago Blackhawks reveal NHL Winter Classic jerseys http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/11/the-chicago-blackhawks-reveal-nhl-winter-classic-jerseys 2 January 2015 Sports Illustrated 5 November 2014 Washington's jerseys represented a combined look back at hockey in D.C.:Vogel Mike Caps Uniform Design in the Works for a Year http://dumpnchase.monumentalnetwork.com/2014/09/23/caps-uniform-design-in-the-works-for-a-year Dump 'N Chase: The Official Blog of Capitals' Senior Writer, Mike Vogel Monumental Sports Entertainment 4 January 2015 23 September 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20150104063111/http://dumpnchase.monumentalnetwork.com/2014/09/23/caps-uniform-design-in-the-works-for-a-year January 4, 2015 dead red sweaters (in a darker shade of red than the team's normal uniforms) with white stripes atop the shoulders and along the bottom, the front featuring the team's name in white over a large blue 'W', with the center of the 'W' stylized like the Washington Monument.https://www.si.com/nhl/2014/09/23/washington-capitals-2015-winter-classic-jerseys Washington Capitals unveil 2015 Winter Classic jerseys 2 January 2015 Sports Illustrated 23 September 2014 Images of Washington's new logo and uniforms were published by Russian Machine Never Breaks before the official unveiling by the team.https://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2014/09/23/the-capitals-new-winter-classic-jersey/ The Capitals New Winter Classic Jersey 2014-09-23 Russian Machine Never Breaks 2017-04-27https://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2014/09/22/is-this-the-capitals-logo-for-the-2015-winter-classic/ Is this the Capitals' Logo for the 2015 Winter Classic? 2014-09-22 Russian Machine Never Breaks 2017-04-27 Game summary Chicago Blackhawks Washington Capitals Nationals Park January 1, 2015 2–3 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/recap?id=2014020556 The Capitals built a 2–0 lead in the first period off of goals by Eric Fehr and Alexander Ovechkin. The Blackhawks then scored goals by Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad to tie the game in the second period. In the waning minutes of the third period with Washington on the power play, Ovechkin was slashed by Saad, and as the referee was signaling for the delayed penalty, Troy Brouwer picked up the loose puck that Ovechkin had lost and beat Corey Crawford for the game winning goal with 13 seconds left in the game. Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st WSH Eric Fehr (11) Unassisted 07:01 1–0 WSH WSH Alexander Ovechkin (18) Mike Green (15) and Jack Hillen (3) 11:58 2–0 WSH CHI Patrick Sharp (7) – pp Duncan Keith (18) and Patrick Kane (23) 13:36 2–1 WSH 2nd CHI Brandon Saad (9) Jonathan Toews (19) and Marian Hossa (17) 03:15 2–2 3rd WSH Troy Brouwer (11) – pp Alexander Ovechkin (14) and Mike Green (16) 19:47 3–2 WSH Number in parentheses represents the player's total in goals or assists to that point of the season Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1st CHI Daniel Carcillo Roughing 05:41 2:00 WSH Tom Wilson Roughing 05:41 2:00 WSH Nicklas Backstrom Holding 13:29 2:00 CHI Bryan Bickell High-sticking 17:41 2:00 WSH Troy Brouwer Boarding 18:33 2:00 2nd WSH Jason Chimera Holding 03:57 2:00 WSH Tom Wilson Goaltender interference 09:18 2:00 WSH John Carlson High-sticking 09:47 2:00 3rd CHI Andrew Shaw Tripping 08:21 2:00 WSH Matt Niskanen Boarding 16:49 2:00 CHI Jonathan Toews Hooking 18:47 2:00 CHI Brandon Saad Slashing 19:47 2:00 Shots by period Team 1 2 3 Total Chicago 13 13 9 35 Washington 15 7 13 35 1em Power play opportunities Team Goals/Opportunities Chicago 1/6 Washington 1/4 Three star selectionsTeamPlayerStatistics 1st WSH Alexander Ovechkin 1 goal, 1 assist 2nd CHI Patrick Sharp 1 goal 3rd WSH Troy Brouwer 1 goal thumb|Troy Brouwer just scored the game-winning goal at the 2015 NHL Winter Classic. Capitals players and fans celebrate. Television ratings The 2015 NHL Winter Classic was the second least watched Winter Classic to date, and was the least-watched one until 2016. NBC reported a 2.3 overnight ratingWyshynski Greg NHL Winter Classic earns lowest rating in game's history | Puck Daddy https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/nhl-winter-classic-earns-lowest-rating-in-game-s-history-160140036.html January 11, 2015 Yahoo Sports January 2, 2015 and 3.47 million viewers.Carlisle Jim Carlisle: Sling TV could appeal to 'cord-nevers' http://www.vcstar.com/sports/carlisle-sling-tv-could-appeal-to-cordnevers_03088739 January 11, 2015 Ventura County Star The E.W. Scripps Co. January 8, 2015 Camarillo, California The NHL Winter Classic between Chicago and Washington drew a record-low 3.47 million viewers to NBC. The game was down 21 percent from last year. CBC barely crossed the 1 million viewer line.Zelkovich Chris The Great Canadian Ratings Report: Winners and losers abound over holidays | Eh Game https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/eh-game/the-great-canadian-ratings-report-172223035.html January 11, 2015 Yahoo Sports Canada January 7, 2015 Pregame/Anthem/Entertainment Billy Idol performed prior to the start of the game. The national anthem was performed by the U.S. Army Chorus from the United States Army Band. Gavin DeGraw performed during the first intermission. In the second intermission, Lee Greenwood, accompanied by the U.S. Army Chorus, performed God Bless the U.S.A. See also List of outdoor ice hockey games References Category:NHL Winter Classic Winter Classic Category:2015 in sports in Washington, D.C. Category:Washington Capitals games Category:Chicago Blackhawks games Category:Ice hockey competitions in Washington, D.C. Category:January 2015 sports events in the United States