Hockey returns to outdoor roots to start New Year

BUFFALO, New York (Reuters) - The NHL will start 2008 by returning to its outdoor roots in a bid to take the sporting spotlight when the Pittsburgh Penguins face off against the Buffalo Sabres in the Winter Classic on Tuesday.

More than 74,000 hockey fans are expected to spend the day braving wintry conditions to watch the first outdoor NHL game played in the United States, at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of NFL team the Buffalo Bills.

Staging the historic contest on New Year's day represents a bold move by the NHL, which has struggled to attract audiences in the United States and will go head-to-head with an established holiday tradition, a day long lineup of college Bowl games.

The NHL will be counting on the game's novelty factor and the presence of league MVP Sidney Crosby of the Penguins to pull in casual fans and bolster television ratings which are among the lowest in North America's professional sports leagues.

"For fans and players it's exciting, I think it's going to bring attention," Crosby said during a conference call. "I thought my outdoor days were done for sure, except for maybe getting home in the winter and playing the odd game outside with some kids or friends.

"We all remember those days playing outside.

"There's something special about being outside playing a game."

SELLOUT CROWD

While pulling in television ratings may be a challenge, attracting a sellout crowd for the Winter Classic presented few problems.

The initial offering of 42,000 tickets sold out in 30 minutes and the remaining 30,000 plus reserved for season-ticket holders and the NHL went quickly.

Many tickets were snapped up by hockey-mad Canadians, who are expected to pour across the border to watch the first NHL game staged outdoors since the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Montreal Canadiens in the Heritage Classic four years ago.

The weather in Buffalo is not expected to be nearly as severe as the Arctic-like conditions fans faced in Edmonton in 2003 but an outdoor game still presents challenges.

Players, most of who grew up playing the game on frozen ponds, rivers and backyard rinks, will have the benefit of heated benches and the best technology available while spectators will rely on more basic equipment such as thick socks and hot drinks.

"We played outdoors all the time when I was a kid," said Sabres Russian right winger Maxim Afinogenov. "It was fun.

"We didn't even know what it was like to play indoors. When you were growing up in Moscow, you always played outdoors."

(Writing by Steve Keating in Toronto, editing by Ed Osmond)