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2024 NHL Winter Classic

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2024 NHL Winter Classic
123 Total
Vegas Golden Knights 000 0
Seattle Kraken 111 3
DateJanuary 1, 2024
VenueT-Mobile Park
CitySeattle, Washington
Attendance47,313
← 2023 2025 →

The 2024 NHL Winter Classic was an outdoor regular season National Hockey League (NHL) game, part of the Winter Classic series, at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington. The game was played on January 1, 2024, between the two most recent NHL expansion teams: hosts Seattle Kraken and the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights. The Kraken won 3–0 and became the first team to earn a shutout in a Winter Classic.[1]

Background

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T-Mobile Park during the Winter Classic

The league announced the game on January 2, 2023, before the start of the previous season's Winter Classic.[2] This was the first Winter Classic held in the Pacific Time Zone, as well as Seattle's first outdoor game.[3] Vegas previously appeared in the 2021 NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe.[2]

This was also the first Winter Classic to take place in a stadium with a retractable roof. Due to Seattle's rainy climate that may have affected ice conditions, organizers planned on closing T-Mobile Park's retractable roof in case of heavy rainfall.[4] This could have resulted in the first "indoor" Winter Classic, and the first such game since the 2014 Heritage Classic at BC Place in Vancouver. However, on game day, the weather forecast was partly cloudy with a temperature of 44°F and only a 10% chance of rain, and the roof was left open during the game.[5]

The rink was surrounded by decorations in a nautical theme that reflected local heritage and the Kraken mythos; topographic designs were laid on the surface and the walkway between the rink and dugouts resembled docks and piers. A boathouse was used as a broadcast studio.[6] Construction of the rink began in December using a temporary ice plant to pump up to 3,000 US gallons (11,000 L) of glycol to create the rink surface.[7] A two-day fan festival was held on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in the north parking lot of Lumen Field, located adjacent to T-Mobile Park. The event included a mobile hockey museum and a display of the Stanley Cup.[8]

Both teams' uniforms were leaked to the public four days prior to their official unveiling on November 22, 2023. Players from the NBA's Utah Jazz were spotted wearing the Kraken's Winter Classic uniform inside the Delta Center,[9] while All Elite Wrestling host Renee Paquette wore the Golden Knights' Winter Classic uniform ahead of the promotion's Full Gear pay-per-view.[10] The Golden Knights wore faux-back 1917 vintage white uniforms with heritage gold stripes, gray pants and helmets, featuring a stylized gray "V" crest with petal accents and gold trim. The Kraken wore Seattle Metropolitans-inspired uniforms in the team's current colors, featuring barber-pole stripes in ice blue, vintage white and deep sea blue, and a stylized red "S" modeled after the team's logo.[11]

Game summary

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Seven players scramble for the puck during the 2024 Winter Classic.
Scoring summary[12]
Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score
1st SEA Eeli Tolvanen (10) Vince Dunn (25), Adam Larsson (9) 4:50 1–0 SEA
2nd SEA Will Borgen (1) Tye Kartye (6), Eeli Tolvanen (13) 2:19 2–0 SEA
3rd SEA Yanni Gourde (5) Unassisted 2:10 3–0 SEA
Number in parentheses represents the player's total in goals or assists to that point of the season
Penalty summary[12]
Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM
1st None
2nd SEA Adam Larsson Interference 16:39 2:00
3rd VGK Brayden McNabb Tripping 12:10 2:00
VGK Alex Pietrangelo Slashing 19:54 2:00
Three star selections[12]
Team Player Statistics
1st SEA Joey Daccord 35 saves, 1.000 SV%
2nd SEA Eeli Tolvanen 1 goal, 1 assist
3rd SEA Yanni Gourde 1 goal

Team rosters

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^ Jiri Patera and Chris Driedger dressed as the back-up goaltenders. Neither entered the game.

Scratches

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Entertainment

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The American national anthem was performed by 14-year-old guitarist Nikhil Bagga (who has also performed at select Kraken games at Climate Pledge Arena) accompanied by American Sign Language performer Brittany Rupik. Rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot performed during the player introductions while Seattle-based rock band Heart performed during the first intermission.[13]

During the pregame arrival for the teams, the Kraken wore outfits resembling workers from the Pike Place Fish Market, while the Golden Knights wore Elvis Presley costumes. The players were introduced during a ceremony that featured the Fish Market's employees tossing fish over the teams.[14]

Broadcasting

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In the United States, the game was televised on TNT, simulcasted on TruTV, and streamed on Max. In Canada, the TNT feed was simulcast on Sportsnet and streamed on Sportsnet+.[15]

Television ratings

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The 2024 NHL Winter Classic surpassed the 2022 game for the lowest ratings of any Winter Classic in the United States to date, with an average of 1.1 million American viewers watching the game.[16]

References

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  1. ^ Baker, Geoff (January 1, 2023). "Kraken's Joey Daccord shines in shutout win over Vegas in NHL Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Rosen, Dan (January 2, 2023). "Kraken to host 2024 NHL Winter Classic, face Vegas at Mariners stadium". NHL. NHL. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  3. ^ McDaniel, Mike (January 2, 2023). "2024 NHL Winter Classic Outdoor Game to Be Held in Seattle". SI.com. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  4. ^ Booth, Tim (January 2, 2023). "NHL announces Winter Classic in 2024 will be at T-Mobile Park". The Everett Herald. Associated Press. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  5. ^ Brehm, Mike (December 31, 2023). "2024 Winter Classic: Live stream, time, weather, how to watch Golden Knights at Kraken". USA Today. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  6. ^ Shefte, Kate (December 21, 2023). "Here's how the T-Mobile Park field will look for Kraken's Winter Classic game". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  7. ^ Shefte, Kate (December 21, 2023). "Inside T-Mobile Park, preparation for 2024 Winter Classic running smoothly". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  8. ^ Baker, Geoff (December 14, 2023). "NHL announces two-day outdoor Fan Village surrounding Kraken's Winter Classic game". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  9. ^ Lukas, Paul (November 18, 2023). "Bizarre Development: Utah Jazz Apparently Leak Seattle Kraken Winter Classic Jersey". Uni-Watch. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  10. ^ Hecken, Phil (November 18, 2023). "Looks Like the Vegas Winter Classic Jersey Has Leaked". Uni-Watch. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  11. ^ "Winter Classic jerseys for Kraken, Golden Knights unveiled". NHL.com. November 22, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c d e "Game Summary - 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic - Monday, January 1, 2024". National Hockey League. January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  13. ^ Phair, Vonnai (December 21, 2023). "Heart, Sir Mix-a-Lot to perform at 2024 NHL Winter Classic in Seattle". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  14. ^ Shefte, Kate (January 1, 2014). "Pike Place Market fishmongers real and fake highlight wild NHL Winter Classic". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  15. ^ "What channel is the Winter Classic on? Time, TV schedule, live stream for 2024 Golden Knights vs. Kraken game". Sporting News. December 31, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  16. ^ "2024 NHL Winter Classic is least-watched edition on record". Sports Pro Media. January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
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