Reports confirm that the site for the 2010 Winter Classic has been decided by NHL's commissioner Gary Bettman: Fenway Park. Since 2008, the NHL has held one outdoor regular season game each year on New Year's Day. In the 2008 "Ice Bowl", the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres in front of a NY crowd of more than 70,000. Last year, the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field. In 2010, the Classic will be a matchup between two of the Original Six hockey teams, the Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers. The annual event has been an attempt to spur more interest in hockey across America, so it's not surprising that the first three hosts will be New York, Chicago, and Boston--three large cities notorious for their enthusiasm for professional sports. Despite making the playoffs the past two seasons, the B's are still lagging behind the Pats, Sox, and Celts, as far as the average Bostonian's interest goes. Fenway's hosting of the 2010 Winter Classic could be what will put the Bruins back on the map.
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