Hockey On Christmas?!

We are just days away from the Christmas holiday, as well as the three day NHL break that comes with it. So, it got me thinking. What if we had some NHL games on Christmas? I realize the NBA already plays games on Christmas, but let’s get real here. There are plenty of people who enjoy the winter holiday in the snow, and you just don’t see them blow-drying their driveways to shoot hoops. No. Rather, you see them shoveling off their iced over pond so they can play some puck. We haven’t seen it since 1972, but hockey on Christmas just makes too much sense. Could it make money, though?

So, for those people who inhabit Canada, the northern states of the US, or anywhere else in the world, I am going to offer a solution that brings the hockey inside on Christmas Day (or Christmas Eve if you’d rather, we can vote on it). Rather than try to follow suit of the failing NBA, I think it would be smart to structure the Christmas schedule like the NFL does on Thanksgiving. That means we have to delegate two teams that play at home, every Christmas.

I think one of those teams should be a Canadian based team, the other should be a States based team. Fair is fair, and that’s about as fair as it gets. I will make a case for three teams in each country, then follow with an ideal schedule for next year. That way, the NHL has time to read this and can take my advice if they so choose.

Canadian Christmas Candidates

Toronto Maple Leafs

This is probably the most obvious candidate if we were to start right now. The Maple Leafs are a very storied franchise, and they have a powerhouse of a squad. Also, barring anything crazy, the Leafs look like they will be good for some time to come. The Toronto market is a fan-filled one, and I’m sure their faithful would absolutely show out, no matter who comes into town on Christmas day.

Hell, you could even get finesse with it and make the Detroit Red Wings a common opponent for hockey on Christmas. I bet their fan base would be willing to travel the 230ish miles for a holiday vacation that includes two old time rivals. For me, the Maple Leafs would be the first team I offer this opportunity to. Of course, it takes the players and staff away from their families on the holiday, at least for a few hours. So, should they decline, I would have to move on to choice number two.

Montreal Canadiens

This one is probably no surprise either. The Canadiens hang the most championship banners from their rafters in the NHL, and it’s not even close. It’s also important to note that, with home teams wearing dark jerseys in this league, the Habs would be donning that aesthetically pleasing Christmas-red. For the time being, Montreal is certainly not a powerhouse, but they aren’t exactly bringing up the rear, either. This would have a more important feel to it in today’s circumstances, as opposed to Toronto’s fun, holiday vacation vibe. Montreal has to fight for every win it gets in today’s NHL, and I see nothing wrong with letting them play one at home on Christmas every year. There is absolutely no doubt they would sell out, and if you send the Bruins up there every now and then, we could have some very memorable Montreal Christmases.

Winnipeg Jets

If Toronto and Montreal were to both pass this up, I’d give it to the Jets. Ottawa deserves nothing with the way they are running their franchise right now, and I don’t necessarily think sending a team out to Vancouver or Edmonton for the holidays is desirable. I’m very high on the Flames up there in Calgary right now, but it’s still a little far out there. Since they’re neck & neck with Winnipeg now anyway, I’m going to give the Jets the edge.

Winnipeg’s hockey fans were torn from their club when they moved to Phoenix in 1996 and renamed themselves the Coyotes. However, the hockey gods showed mercy and brought them back to life. In 2011, the Atlanta Thrashers were bought and moved to Winnipeg. Thus, the Jets were reborn. So, why not give them a holiday to celebrate with their team who has come home? Seems poetic for the holidays. Plus, a Winnipeg whiteout to match what the outdoors look like?! It just makes more and more sense. (Fun fact, Atlanta also lost it’s team to Calgary. It’s the only city to lose two teams in the modern era).

United States Christmas Candidates

Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago is original six, and they’re as classic as it gets when it comes to hockey in the States. Like the Canadiens, Chicago would be able to sport that Christmas-red every year to make for a very festive look on the ice. Chicago is also one of those northern cities that typically gets a white Christmas, so it makes for a great holiday, hockey atmosphere.

The Blackhawks have won enough in the recent past to make this a marketable game. They also have marquee names on their roster that I’m sure would make for some fun, Christmas moments. The Wild, Red Wings, Blue Jackets, Predators, and Blues are all close enough that you could fill a rotation playing in Chicago rather easily, especially with mixing in some teams who are further away from time to time. Bottom-line, I don’t think the Blackhawks would struggle to entertain fans with some hockey on Christmas day.

Buffalo Sabres

There’s something about Buffalo that just screams winter. And snow. Maybe it’s because they get a stupid amount of winter weather every year. Or, maybe it’s cause they’re as Canadian as you can get in the US. Either way, Buffalo has the young talent to be good for quite some time. With not much to do in the city of Buffalo in the first place, why not put a top tier NHL team on display?

Also, the Sabres play less than 100 miles from the Leafs. Put Toronto on at noon, and Buffalo on at 7pm EST. Talk about a fun Christmas trip! I’d do it. Long story short, the Sabres are on the up ‘n’ up, and I think they would do very well to have hockey on Christmas day to cement their place in the NHL. I wouldn’t mind seeing the blue and yellow play hockey on Christmas each year.

Minnesota Wild

This is another one that just oozes Christmas spirit. The Wild play in Minnesota, which is only considered less Canadian than Buffalo and Detroit because they claimed the whole state. Regardless, Minnesota gets ass loads of snow every year. I’m actually pretty sure they never have a summer. On top of that, the Wild are both Christmas-red AND Christmas-green when it comes to team colors. Oh, let the uniform ideas flow. All of these reasons considered, the Wild are also a great team. They could wear some very fun Christmas uniforms each year, while still attracting big time opponents with some serious pre All Star break implications. The Minnesota Wild could market this game very well, and similar to the Sabres, I think it could help cement themselves as a known powerhouse to fans across the country.

Hockey On Christmas: 2019 Schedule

Since I don’t have the ability to gauge certain teams’ interest level in playing on the holiday at this very moment, I am going to put together what I would think to be a very fun Christmas day schedule, while also being marketable for the NHL. My third game, which would feature two different teams every year, would also always feature at least one west coast team, as none of them would be considered for an every-year slot. Ok, here’s next year’s ideal schedule.

Boston Bruins @ Toronto Maple Leafs – 12:30pm EST

This is classic matchup, and certainly a rivalry that never goes unnoticed. There’s no better way to start a holiday than with the possibility of some fisticuffs. The east coast can come from church and toss the game on while playing with presents or mingling with family. The west coast can wake up to a classic showdown. Moreover, anyone can use it as early motivation to hit the backyard pond with the boys and get some puck rolling while friends and family get together.

St. Louis Blues @ Chicago Blackhawks – 3:15pm CST

This was a tougher one to pick. I wanted to send Detroit to Chicago for this one, but then our first four would have been original six teams. I would have had to put Montreal against the Rangers for game three, or else my OCD would go crazy. Since that’s not an option, I decided to bring St. Louis up the road a short distance to spend Christmas in Chi-town. These two struggling organizations could use a mid-day, prime time game to get some exposure from non-hockey fans. These are two well-respected franchises that have enough history to hold their heads high, which is why I think they could do well on the holiday. Not to mention, they aren’t exactly fond of each other. Could be a fun one.

San Jose Sharks @ Calgary Flames – 5:00pm MST

This would be our west coast match up of the day. These teams are both extremely fun to watch this year, and I don’t see much changing for either of them between now and this time next year. Also, it wouldn’t be so bad if the California boys got up into some snow for hockey on Christmas. I imagine Christmas in Calgary, Alberta looks a lot different than Christmas in San Jose, California. These teams could be battling for Western supremacy in the near future, and what better way to put yourself on the map than primetime hockey as the general public recovers from overeating?!

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