Calling it now: 2028 NHL Winter Classic will be in Buffalo

[PromoTheRobot]

At the new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. 20th anniversary of the original Classic. How can this not happen?

[Zamboni]

How can it not happen? Oh let me count thy ways 😂

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, Zamboni said:

How can it not happen? Oh let me count thy ways 😂

We're due.

[Taro T]

3 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

At the new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. 20th anniversary of the original Classic. How can this not happen?

Umm, how can it not happen?  The Bills will still be using that stadium in early January.  They aren't going to play the last 2 weeks of the year on the road to allow for the rink to be set up.

But absolutely agree the Sabres will be the host team for that one.  The only question will be which "suburb" will the game be played in.  Gut feel is that one will be in a true Buffalo suburb - Boston NY MA.  🤬

[Marvin]

Only if the Sabres are good and agree to have a home game in a bigger market.

[PromoTheRobot]

38 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Umm, how can it not happen?  The Bills will still be using that stadium in early January.  They aren't going to play the last 2 weeks of the year on the road to allow for the rink to be set up.

But absolutely agree the Sabres will be the host team for that one.  The only question will be which "suburb" will the game be played in.  Gut feel is that one will be in a true Buffalo suburb - Boston NY MA.  🤬

Wasn't thinking about that. In 2008 that wasn't an issue, huh? Well then how about a February Stadium Classic?

[Marvin]

8 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Wasn't thinking about that. In 2008 that wasn't an issue, huh? Well then how about a February Stadium Classic?

Again, only if the Sabres are good and agree to have a home game in a bigger market.

[Taro T]

9 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Wasn't thinking about that. In 2008 that wasn't an issue, huh? Well then how about a February Stadium Classic?

Nope.  The Sabres "host" the Winter Classic every 10 years whether it be 10 miles outside the city limits or 1,000 miles away.

Fully expect them to be the home team for the 20th anniversary Ice Bowl.

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

Nope.  The Sabres "host" the Winter Classic every 10 years whether it be 10 miles outside the city limits or 1,000 miles away.

Fully expect them to be the home team for the 20th anniversary Ice Bowl.

The playoffs don't start until the third weekend of January. I just looked up it takes a week to build an outdoor NHL rink, and New Years Day 2028 is a Saturday. So the Bills play on the road one weekend, and you're good to go.

Edited June 6, 2023 by PromoTheRobot

[Taro T]

5 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

The playoffs don't start until the third weekend of January. So it would be easy enough to avoid New Years on the regular season schedule.

You have to avoid at least 2 weeks of games - 1 to set up and one for the actual hockey game.  And then you can't do anything on that field until late in the next week.  It's a grass field; if there are ANY issues with keeping the surface in good condition, you could have a serious mess in that next football game played right after the Ice Bowl.   The league won't go for that.  And the NHL won't go for less than 6 days to get the ice set up.  (NYD '28 falls on a Saturday.)

The Bills aren't going to be good with not having access to their field for 2+ weeks in the stretch to the playoffs.

They are no longer being run by Russ (if it makes money it's a good thing whether it will help with wins or not and whether it ticks fans off or not) Brandon.  No way does Pegula go along with a Winter Classic in the new Mausoleum.  A Stadium Series game, quite possibly; but would the league go for an outdoor game near the shores of Lake Erie in February?  The possibility of a nasty storm rolling through is probably higher than the league would want to go for.

Still not sure why the Sabres have never been the visitor in one of these games.  A ton of Sabres fans would show up for one.

[Stoner]

PTR got T-ed up yooooooo.

A good lesson for the kids out there.