Here’s a heavy dose of stats, notes, and other tidbits to get you ready for today’s Winter Classic meeting between the Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals.
Matchup Notes
Blackhawks are 9-1-0 at home since dropping a game against the Capitals at the United Center on November 7th
The average high temperature in Washington D.C. on Jan. 1st, is 44 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius), while the average low is 29 degrees Fahrenheit (Minus-2 degrees Celsius)
Both teams are making their second appearance in the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, with the Capitals hosting the game for the first time.
Capitals beat the Penguins 3-1 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on Jan. 1st, 2011
Blackhawks hosted the Winter Classic on Jan. 1st, 2009, losing 6-4 against the Red Wings
38 NHLers (35 skaters, 3 goalies) have played for both the Capitals & Blackhawks
Only one player in NHL history has played at least 200 games for both the Blackhawks & Capitals: Troy Brouwer
14 players on the Capitals roster have skated in a regular-season outdoor NHL game, with two (Jason Chimera, Brooks Orpik) participating in more than one such game
19 players on the Blackhawks roster have participated in a regular-season outdoor NHL game, including 17 that played in the 2014 Coors Light Stadium Series at Soldier Field
There have been 13 NHL regular-season outdoor games contested since 2003-04. Of those 13 games, seven have been hosted in football venues, while six have been hosted in baseball stadiums
Road teams are 10-2-1 in outdoor games, including 5-1-0 during the 2013-14 season. The Blackhawks secured the lone victory by a home team in 2013-14 with a 5-1 win over the Penguins in the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series at Soldier Field
The NHL’s 13 regular-season outdoor games have drawn a total attendance of 740,251, an average of 56,942 per game
Blackhawks forward Brad Richards scored the GWG for the Rangers in their 3-2 victory over the Flyers at the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park
Winter Classic Veterans
These players have already played in three regular-season outdoor NHL games:
Brooks Orpik (2008 Winter Classic / 2011 Winter Classic / 2014 Stadium Series)
Dan Carcillo (2012 Winter Classic / 2014 Stadium Series / 2014 Stadium Series)
Brad Richards (2012 Winter Classic / 2014 Stadium Series / 2014 Stadium Series)
Jersey Information
Washington Capitals
Primary colour of the uniform is deep red
The White horizontal stripes on the shoulders, waist and legs represent elements of Washington professional hockey jerseys from the 1930’s
Logo features a large blue W and has the white Capitals wordmark
W features a silhouette of the Washington Monument
Chicago Blackhawks
Inspired by 1957 jersey
White jersey features a lace-up collar and secondary logos on each sleeve
The secondary logos overlap the top two stripes on the sleeve rather than the traditional shoulder placement
Stadium Information
Nationals Park is located in southeast Washington, south of the Capitol and along the Capitol Riverfront adjacent to the Navy Yard. The stadium is approximately two miles away from the Verizon Center, the home arena of the Capitals
Nationals Park opened in March, 2008 and cost $611M. The Stadium seats 41,546 for baseball
Nationals Park has approximately 3,500 pieces of steel in the bowl structure, equalling 7,800 tons
Nationals Park hosted its first regular-season MLB game on March 30th, 2008. Nationals Ryan Zimmerman hit a walk-off HR in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Nationals a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves
Nationals Park was the first major stadium in the USA accredited as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Structure
Water-conserving plumbing fixtures are used throughout the ballpark, saving an estimated 3.6 million gallons of water per year and reducing overall water consumption by 30 percent
Layers of fill and old bricks were found 12-14 feet below grade during the stadium’s construction, indicating the probability of roads and habitation at this level in the 1800s
Pope Benedict celebrated Mass in front of 47,000 at a packed Nationals Park on April 17th, 2008, during a six-day visit to Washington & New York
