Classic Canned

  Friday brought the dreaded news that the hockey world has expected to hear when the NHL officially canceled the 2013 NHL Winter Classic.

"The logistical demands for staging events of this magnitude made today's decision unavoidable. We simply are out of time," said NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. "We are extremely disappointed, for our fans and for all those affected, to have to cancel the Winter Classic and Hockeytown Winter Festival events."

  The news came as no surprise, as the league was expected to pay its’ first installment of the $3 million dollar rental fee to the Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Friday November 2nd, a $250,000 first installment of a total five in a payment plan set up by the two parties in the original contract.

“This is an unfortunate announcement but one that looked imminent given the current labor situation between the NHL and its players,” said Dave Brandon, athletic director at the University of Michigan. “We knew this was a possibility but we stayed prepared in the event the labor dispute would get resolved."

“Our relationship with the NHL has been terrific. Both parties have a mutual interest in making the Winter Classic a successful and historical event. We are glad they committed to bring the next game to the Big House, matching the Red Wings and Maple Leafs.”

  With the NHL already having canceled the regular season through the end of November in this year’s labor dispute, a total of 327 games have been lost – %26.5 of the regular season. With no clear end in sight as the two sides, the NHL and NHLPA, are on opposite ends of the river in negotiations. When the last collective bargaining agreement offer was rejected by the Players Association, and the NHL dismissed three counter-proposals by the NHLPA after just ten minutes, the NHL snubbed out any further discussion between the two parties. That was when the fear of a canceled Classic became a palpable reality. In the agreement between the NHL and Michigan University, the ‘work stoppage clause’ allowed for the NHL to cancel the Classic no later than Friday for a penalty of the deposit for the rental of the facility.

"The NHL's decision to cancel the 2013 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic is unnecessary and unfortunate, as was the owners' implementation of the lockout itself," said NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr in a statement. "The fact that the season has not started is a result of a unilateral decision by the owners; the players have always been ready to play while continuing to negotiate in good faith. We look forward to the league's return to the bargaining table, so that the parties can find a way to end the lockout at the earliest possible date, and get the game back on the ice for the fans."

  The NHL only faces the $100,000 penalty to the University of Michigan for cancellation of the Classic, the fee that was paid up front as a deposit. The revenue lost in the 326 regular season games of play through the lockout comes at the price of a $720 million loss, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly estimates. The Winter Classic generates an unrivaled amount of attention to this great sport through this annual venue, including the HBO series 24/7 in the lead up to the event.

  Brian Cooper, CEO of S&E Sponsorship Group, estimated that the event, by far the largest in NHL history, was poised to generate in upwards of $3 million in corporate sponsorships, not including ticket and merchandising sales. Cooper also revealed his insight on the importance to the Canadian markets, given the fact that a Canadian franchise has been invited to the Winter Classic, something that the hockey crazed nation has been surprisingly left out of outside of its’ Heritage Classic appearance in 2003 between the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens, and 2011 in Calgary with the Flames hosting the Candiens once more.

"This is the first year that it really affects Canada," said Cooper. "There was going to be a lot of in-market (sponsorship) activations, there were going to be a lot of hosting opportunities, there were going to be consumer promotions. ...

"This was a big date."

  This year’s Classic was set to break records for the National Hockey League as two of the NHL’s most storied franchises in the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs were to play in front of the largest audience an NHL game has ever seen. The NHL has expected to eclipse the record attendance of the 2010 NCAA “Big Chill” match-up at the University of Michigan which saw 104,173 fans. The cancellation also is extend to the alumni, junior, college and American Hockey Leagues games that were scheduled for a second outdoor venue, the SiriusXM Hockeytown Winter Festival events between Dec. 16-31  at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit.

"It's sad," Red Wings defenseman Ian White said. "I was really looking forward to playing in that game. I've been looking forward to it since they announced it. I know everyone probably was in the state of Michigan. We were thrilled to have it. It would have been a great event."

Red Wings veteran forward Todd Bertuzzi echoed his teammate’s dejection, calling the decision, "very disappointing. I think the whole thing is tough for everyone. But this was a focal point for our team and for Toronto, and for our fans."

"I know that my kid's team was playing, too, at Comerica, and then you had the alumni game, which was going to be superb with the amount of talent that both teams had," Bertuzzi said. "I think it's a big loss.” Bertuzzi, who was not on the Red Wings roster in 2009, missed the last Winter Classic that his team was a part of when they won at Wrigley Field against division rivals Chicago Blackhawks. "I've always wanted to play in one," he said. "I'd love the experience. In talking with all the guys when they played in Chicago, they said it was an outstanding atmosphere."

  The ones that are really hurt through the NHL and NHLPA’s inability to come to terms for the start of the regular season are without question the fans. The NHL released a statement the same day in regards to the fans that had planned to attend with a full refund. The fan has the option to either receive a full refund, or to keep their ticket and have it applied to the next Winter Classic, which will be held at the same venue with the same two clubs once the new collective bargaining agreement is settled. Though the same game will be on for 2014, the disappointment is very strong throughout.

"For them to cancel it, it's extremely disappointing. It was going to be a great event, I mean, with the stuff that was going to be happening down in Comerica Park, and then our game at the Big House, I think it was going to be the grandaddy of the Winter Classics.” Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard said, “I know all my family and friends were very much looking forward to it," Howard continued. "So it stinks that it's going to get postponed."

  What the NHL cannot compensate, is the time pined away for by the fans planning to travel to what was dubbed as the largest event of its’ kind in the Winter Classic’s six-year history. The NHL has lost revenue through its’ decision to cancel over the first quarter of the regular season, and has lost once again, as the cities of Ann Arbor and Detroit were expected to see a mass of an estimated 400,000 fans. The loss also extends to the cities whom intended to host the two events, in an area that economically needs a boost even more than the NHL fan needs hockey.

  So, with the decision made, it’s better luck next year to the state of Michigan and the state of NHL hockey as a whole. Now we’ll wait and see how much, if anything, can be salvaged from this unfortunate start of the hockey year.

- Kendall Grubbs