The NHL's tradition of outdoor hockey games on New Year's Day will continue in 2015, with reports indicating that the Washington Capitals will host the event on Jan. 1 while an opponent has yet to be named.
According to The Washington Post, Capitals majority owner Ted Leonsis is set to make an announcement Saturday about the team hosting the event for the first time. Washington competed in the Winter Classic in Pittsburgh back in 2011 and defeated the Penguins at Heinz Field by a score of 3-1.
The actual location of where the 2015 Classic will be played within Washington has yet to be determined as well, but Nationals Park could possibly be a landing spot for the event. Mark Lerner, who owns the Nationals, is a partner in Leonsis' Monumental Sports and Entertainment group, according to The Washington Post, but the paper notes that it doesn't guarantee Nationals Park will get the game since the Nationals lease the stadium through District, and don't have majority control over the events that transpire in the building.
Other places that could possibly host the Winter Classic in Washington are RFK Stadium and FedEx Field, while the Baltimore Oriole's home of Camden Yards in Maryland could also be in consideration, the newspaper reports.
Leonsis ruled out in 2012 the possibility of the Mall, an open area and national park in Washington, D.C., as being a possible location if Washington was ever to land the Classic.
"The idea of a game being played on the Mall has been floated around for many years - it is NOT feasible; there aren't enough common areas to build out seats," Leonsis wrote on Jan. 3, 2012, according to The Washington Post. "And the expense involved to create locker rooms; ice stands and studios are prohibitive. The Mall is managed by the National Park Service, as well."
The Capitals join Buffalo, Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia as teams that have hosted a Winter Classic since its inception in 2008. The Detroit Red Wings get the nod on New Year's Day in 2014 after their originally scheduled 2013 matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium was wiped out due to last season's partial lockout.
While the Capitals have a lot to look forward to in 2015, right now the team is setting its sights on Opening Night of this season on Oct. 1 against the Blackhawks in Chicago. The team is looking to rebound on a 2013 campaign that saw the Caps finish first in the Southeast Division with a 28-14-3 overall record and 57 points, good enough for the third seed. The team fizzled out in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs after holding 2-0 and 3-1 series leads over the New York Rangers in the best-of-seven matchup, before falling in the seventh game of the series and being eliminated.
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