Gary Lawless, who covers the Vegas Golden Knights, spoke with NBC Sports Boston’s Nick Goss about Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery
The Winter Classic is the NHL's premier regular season event.
It doesn't have the history of the All-Star Game, but the atmosphere of the Winter Classic is far superior and the players take it much more seriously since it is, of course, an actual game with two points at stake.
The Winter Classic began in 2008 and has been played in nearly every year since. Other outdoor games have been staged over that span, but the Winter Classic is the most prestigious of the league's outdoor settings.
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Ranking every Bruins jersey from Winter Classic, NHL Outdoor games
The event did not take place in 2013 (lockout) and 2021 (COVID-19 pandemic), but both of those matchups took place the following year.
This year's matchup features two teams familiar with the event. The Boston Bruins will host the Pittsburgh Penguins at Fenway Park on Jan. 2. It will be the Bruins' fourth Winter Classic appearance (tied with the Chicago Blackhawks for the most) and the Penguins' third appearance.
Here's the complete history of the Winter Classic with scores and video highlights.
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2008 Winter Classic
Matchup: Pittsburgh Penguins at Buffalo Sabres
Venue: Ralph Wilson Stadium
Score: 2-1 Penguins (SO)
2009 Winter Classic
Matchup: Detroit Red Wings at Chicago Blackhawks
Venue: Wrigley Field
Score: 6-4 Red Wings
2010 Winter Classic
Matchup: Philadelphia Flyers at Boston Bruins
Venue: Fenway Park
Score: 2-1 Bruins (OT)
2011 Winter Classic
Matchup: Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins
Venue: Heinz Field
Score: 3-1 Capitals
2012 Winter Classic
Matchup: New York Rangers at Philadelphia Flyers
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Score: 3-2 Rangers
2014 Winter Classic
Matchup: Toronto Maple Leafs at Detroit Red Wings
Venue: Michigan Stadium
Score: 3-2 Leafs (SO)
2015 Winter Classic
Matchup: Chicago Blackhawks at Washington Capitals
Venue: Nationals Park
Score: 3-2 Capitals
2016 Winter Classic
Matchup: Montreal Canadiens at Boston Bruins
Venue: Gillette Stadium
Score: 5-1 Canadiens
2017 Winter Classic
Matchup: Chicago Blackhawks at St. Louis Blues
Venue: Busch Stadium
Score: 4-1 Blues
2018 Winter Classic
Matchup: New York Rangers at Buffalo Sabres
Venue: Citi Field
Score: 3-2 Rangers (OT)
2019 Winter Classic
Matchup: Boston Bruins at Chicago Blackhawks
Venue: Notre Dame Stadium
Score: 4-2 Bruins
2020 Winter Classic
Matchup: Nashville Predators at Dallas Stars
Venue: Cotton Bowl
Score: 4-2 Stars
2022 Winter Classic
Matchup: St. Louis Blues at Minnesota Wild
Venue: Target Field
Score: 6-4 Blues
2023 Winter Classic
Matchup: Pittsburgh Penguins at Boston Bruins
Venue: Fenway Park
Score: TBD
