On January 1, 2008, the inaugural NHL Winter Classic was played between the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Buffalo Sabres outside of Buffalo, New York. It was a picturesque scene. The game was played in snow. NHL darling, Sidney Crosby scored the shootout winner for the Penguins. It was a dream outcome for the NHL.
In the years since, the NHL has fallen into a bit of a trap. The league has focused almost all of their Winter Classic attention onto only the ‘big market’ Eastern Conference teams, and the Chicago Blackhawks.
Chicago leads all teams with three appearances.