The Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins will play an outdoor game on New Year's Day, 2008, at the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo.

This will be the NHL’s second game of this sort after the Canadiens played Oilers in front of 57,167 fans at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium on Nov. 22, 2003. The Canadiens won then 4-3.

Buffalo’s Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the National Football Association’s Buffalo Bills, has a capacity of 73,967 seats for football games.

“Many of our players have great memories of playing outdoors when they were growing up,'' NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman stated. "This game provides a wonderful opportunity to showcase our great players, honor hockey's heritage and ring in the New Year with the best fans in sports.''

The game, in which will also play the reigning NHL Most Valuable Player Sidney Crosby of the Penguins, is scheduled for 1 p.m. New York time. NBC will televise the game and at least four college football bowl games will be broadcasted in the same time interval, so the competition is tough.

The spectators attending the Canadiens – Oilers outdoor game had to tolerate temperatures that dipped to minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 Celsius). Before the contest, an exhibition game between former Oilers and Canadiens was held and included Hall of Fame members Wayne Gretzky and Guy Lafleur.

"We are hoping we get a beautiful, bright — I would say sunny — but I'm not looking for a very warm day," NHL senior executive vice president John Collins said. "We are looking for a good ice-making, hockey-playing day."

The fans who intend to be present at the New Year's Day game can expect more chilly weather as the average temperature in Buffalo on Jan. 1 is 26 degrees Fahrenheit.
Many Canadian fans are expected to attend since the western New York City is just across the border from Ontario, about 90 minutes from Toronto and approximately a 3 1/2 hour drive from Pittsburgh.

Collins said Buffalo and Pittsburgh were chosen - among other reason - especially due to the enthusiasm shown by Sabres owner Tom Golisano and managing partner Larry Quinn for the project and, of course, the presence of Crosby on the Penguins and Pittsburgh's proximity to Buffalo.