Flyers To Host Rangers in 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Citizen’s Bank Park

The Philadelphia Flyers will host the New York Rangers at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies, in the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on Monday, Jan. 2, at 1 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast live on NBC in the US and on CBC and RDS in Canada. The NHL unveiled the official logo for the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic and the special team logos being used by the Flyers and Rangers.

The 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic continues the tradition the NHL has established of hosting a regular-season game outdoors at the beginning of the new year to celebrate the origin and traditions of hockey.

“The Rangers-Flyers rivalry is one of our very best,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “It is only a short distance from Broadway to Broad Street, and over the years, these not-so-neighborly teams have provided an assortment of memorable games. I have every expectation that the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic will provide more great moments to remember.”

Division rivals since the 1974–75 season, the Rangers and Flyers will become the closest geographic rivals to compete in the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. Their on-ice familiarity is a result of the fact that the Rangers are the Flyers’ all-time most-common opponent in the regular-season (261 games) and Stanley Cup playoffs series (10).

Although the teams last squared off in the playoffs in 1997, on the final day of the 2009-10 regular-season, the Flyers and Rangers played an historic “winner takes all” game to determine the lone remaining playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Tied 1-1 at the end of overtime, the Flyers prevailed in a shootout, starting their march to the conference championship.

“The Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic is arguably the biggest game played during the NHL’s regular season and it is a wonderful platform to feature our great sport to millions of worldwide viewers,” said Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider, who founded the Philadelphia Flyers. “It’s an honor for the Philadelphia Flyers to serve as ambassadors for the NHL. We look forward to hosting the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic in Philadelphia and showcasing our great city to hockey fans throughout North America.”

“The Rangers organization is honored and excited to take part in what has become one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year,” said Glen Sather, Rangers President and General Manager. “The Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic represents the spirit and essence of the game of hockey, bringing the players back to their childhood days of playing outside on the pond, for the pure love of the game.”

The 43,500-seat ballpark in Philadelphia will be the setting for the fifth-ever Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, which will feature several of the biggest names in hockey. The Flyers boast an All-Star roster that includes two Hart Trophy winners – Chris Pronger and Jaromir Jagr – and key members of the team that won the 2010 Eastern Conference championship, including Danny Briere, Claude Giroux, and Scott Hartnell. The Rangers counter with NHL All-Stars of their own in goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, forward Marian Gaborik, defenseman Marc Staal, and 2004 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Brad Richards.

“The players on both the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers are looking forward to this event,” said NHLPA Executive Director Don Fehr. “Playing outdoors in the elements will bring back many fond memories of their youth hockey days. It will be a great day for the fans in Philadelphia, for the players, and for the game.”

“We are honored that the NHL has chosen Citizens Bank Park as the venue for the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic,” said Phillies President David Montgomery. “We eagerly await January 2nd when our Philadelphia Flyers host the New York Rangers. It will surely be a great experience for fans.”

The 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic in Pittsburgh on NBC Sports aired in primetime and was the most-watched NHL regular season game in the US in 36 years with an average of 4.5 million viewers. The event also drew the largest audience on CBC for any of the US-based outdoor NHL games.

“NBC Sports is proud to have partnered with the NHL to grow the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic into a New Year’s tradition and one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year,” said Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBC Sports Group. “In addition to the intense rivalry between the Rangers and Flyers that will be played outdoors in one the nation’s most rabid sports cities, this year’s game has special meaning to us since the stature of this event makes it the perfect platform to launch the new NBC Sports Network that day.”

“CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada is excited to once again be the Canadian broadcast home of the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic,” said Julie Bristow, Executive Director, Studio and Unscripted Programming, CBC Television. “This annual outdoor game has become a New Year’s tradition and a must-watch game for Canadian hockey fans, and we can’t wait to bring the nation this year’s Classic from Philadelphia.”

Sirius XM Satellite Radio will provide radio coverage. NHL.com will provide extensive digital video coverage and NHL Network will chronicle all of the excitement from Philadelphia leading up to and after the game.

The Bridgestone brand, the Official Tire of the NHL and the NHLPA, returns for the fourth consecutive year as title sponsor of the event.

“The Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic has become a tradition of excellence, passion and excitement in the sports world — it is the same tradition that the Bridgestone brand instills in its products every day,” said Phil Pacsi, Vice President, Consumer Marketing, U.S. & Canada Consumer Tire Sales Sales, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, (BATO). “Watching two of the NHL’s most storied rivals square off at the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park is an event not to be missed, and will be talked about for years to come. We are excited and proud to be part of this New Year’s tradition.”

For the second consecutive year, the NHL will partner with HBO Sports and its groundbreaking “24/7” reality franchise. As it did with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals last year, the four-episode, all-access series will again provide viewers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at both teams, along with in-depth interviews of players, coaches, and front-office personnel as the teams compete during the NHL regular-season, including a Dec. 23rd matchup between the teams at Madison Square Garden. The premiere episode debuts Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 10 p.m. ET, with new episodes debuting each successive Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET.

The first-ever NHL regular-season game staged outdoors was played in 2003 when the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Montreal Canadiens at Commonwealth Stadium. Since 2008, the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic has been played every year on New Year’s Day. The first contest featured the Buffalo Sabres hosting the Penguins at Ralph Wilson Stadium. In 2009, the Chicago Blackhawks hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field. In 2010, the Boston Bruins hosted the Flyers at Fenway Park, and in 2011, the Penguins hosted the Capitals at Heinz Field. In February of 2011, the Calgary Flames hosted the Canadiens in the 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at McMahon Stadium.