Columbus Blue Jackets 'in the mix' to host possible NHL Winter Classic at Ohio Stadium
There may be hope for an NHL Winter Classic to be held some day in Columbus after all.
An NHL source has confirmed a report on TSN that a small contingent of league representatives attended Ohio State's victory over Michigan State this past Saturday at Ohio Stadium as a site survey. No decisions have been made, but Columbus is "in the mix" to get the NHL's most prestigious outdoor event.
"We remain very interested in and excited about hosting an outdoor game, and have had numerous discussions with the NHL and Ohio State about doing so," Blue Jackets spokesman Todd Sharrock said. "Those discussions are continuing."
Ohio State similarly expressed enthusiasm.
"We continue to be excited about the possibility and believe that Ohio Stadium would provide a great and iconic setting for the event," associate vice president of business advancement Xen Riggs said.
The Blue Jackets are one of four teams that have yet to participate in an outdoor game, along with the Arizona Coyotes, Florida Panthers and Seattle Kraken.
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Ohio Stadium, nicknamed “The Shoe” for its former horseshoe design, is one of the most iconic stadiums in the country. Blue Jackets fans have long dreamed of watching their favorite team play there, but Ohio State has thrown up multiple road blocks ― including the cost of winterizing the stadium ― that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has cited as the main holdup for scheduling an outdoor game in Columbus.
Ohio State’s top rival, the University of Michigan, hosted the 2014 NHL Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium and drew 105,491 for a game between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs. Ohio Stadium has an official capacity of 102,780 but hosted a crowd of 110,045 for the annual rivalry game between Ohio State and Michigan in 2016.
Getting a site survey doesn’t guarantee anything for the Blue Jackets, who are off to a 4-8-4 start this season after finishing last year as one of the NHL’s two worst teams. It’s highly unlikely the league would schedule them into an outdoor game until results on the ice improve significantly.
"That's what you work for and why we want to get a game here," said Blue Jackets center Sean Kuraly, who's from Dublin and played in the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets developmental program. "How you get a game here is you win games and you're a good team. So, that's our focus. If we want to get there, first we've got to do our part. You can't just ask for things. You've got to do things and then hopefully we get one. But it's not just asking for one before we show them."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: NHL assessing Ohio Stadium for possible winter classic
