Winter Classic ties NHL ratings record

Photo: Paul Sancya/AP

NEW YORK — The Winter Classic has matched the highest television rating for a regular-season NHL game in 39 years.

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ 3-2 shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings on NBC on Wednesday earned a 2.5 rating. The network said Friday that tied the 2009 New Year’s Day game between Detroit and the Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field.

The rating was up 19 per cent from the last Winter Classic in 2012 between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers.

Ratings represent the percentage of homes with televisions tuned into a program.

When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.