As the NHL prepares to ring in the New Year with its Jan. 1 tradition of the Winter Classic on Thursday, there is a belief that sun glare could push back the slated 1 p.m. ET puck drop at Nationals Park as the Chicago Blackhawks visit the Washington Capitals in D.C.
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According to The Washington Post, the NHL is prepared to push the start time of the game back due to a fear that the sunny forecast may cause vision problems for the players on the ice.
"We were warned today that there might be a time change based on glare," Capitals forward Brooks Laich told the newspaper, "if there's too much sun. But I think I'd rather deal with sun than rain. I think even with sun, you're going to have better ice conditions, you're going to have a better product on the ice, which we still want a very good hockey game for the people to watch."
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It wouldn't mark the first time that the NHL had to force the start time back for an outdoor game as the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers game was delayed nearly two hours in the 2012 Winter Classic while last year's Stadium Series tilt between the Rangers and New Jersey Devils at Yankee Stadium was pushed back 40 minutes.
The Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins New Year's Day game in 2011 was also pushed back to primetime due to the wet weather conditions.
The Washington Post reports that the forecast for Thursday is mostly sunny with temperatures between 36-39 degrees.
"[I]f we have bright sunshine we have a problem," said Dan Craig, the NHL's senior director of facilities operations, when preparing for the 2014 Winter Classic held in Ann Arbor, according to the publication. "The sun will melt down over a quarter of an inch and then next thing you know all you have is water overtop your lines that you worked all night to install."
The Capitals (18-11-7) have lost two of their last three heading into the Winter Classic, but they hold the third and final automatic playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division.
The Blackhawks (25-10-2) roll into the game off of two straight wins and sit atop the Central Division.
Washington defeated Chicago 3-2 the first time these teams met on Nov. 7.
As the NHL rings in the New Year, there could be a delay when the Blackhawks visit the Capitals in the seventh annual Winter Classic at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
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