The Winter Classic is definitely a great marketing idea, and it got me, a slowly self-educating hockey fan, to start watching more hockey, NHL, college, and high school hockey, more often. Although, I'm interested to see whether it has worked on a larger scale. I just have a feeling that it will get people to watch a hockey game once, then not watch any more the rest of the year.

What if they were to play an actual pond/lake game, "Mystery Alaska" style? I'd buy tickets to go see the Wild play the Stars out on Lake Minnetonka. Besides they'd have better seats than any baseball or football stadium could have for watching hockey.