Bruins-Flyers Classic confrontation is Fenway-bound

BOSTON — Maybe you were buried under tons of Michael Jackson and Sarah Palin news or just had your nose in a book at the beach the last month or so. In that case, you were surprised to hear today during a press conference at Fenway Park that the venerable ballpark is going to host the NHL 2010 Winter Classic Jan. 1, 2010 with the Boston Bruins squaring off with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Despite what NHL commissioner Gary Bettman even admitted was the “worst-kept secret there is” the official announcement of the big-time matchup still did a lot to add to the excitement about a game that’s still six months away. From Mike “Doc” Emrick’s opening statements, complete with a quick description of every nook and cranny of Fenway to Bettman’s presentation of a commemorative hockey stick to Boston mayor Thomas M. Menino, the presentation was a home run and now the anticipation for one of the biggest sporting events in Boston sports history begins.

“This is just awesome. I think you can ask every other guy in the league, everyone wants to be a part of this game at some point,” said Bruins forward Shawn Thornton.

Never one to miss an opportunity to philosophize on topics such as the Winter Classic, defenseman Aaron Ward explained why every player wants to get the chance to play in an NHL outdoor game.

“It’s an honor. You’ve got 700 players that are in the NHL, which if you do the ratio to the population of the world, it’s a unique opportunity, it’s a game you should enjoy,” he said. “And then you get handed another opportunity to play another game like this. It’s going to be 40 guys, they’re going to walk away from Fenway Park knowing that pretty much you will be the only ones that experience that. Because the likelihood it happens again at Fenway, I don’t know. But it’s quite unlikely.”

Bruins-Flyers games over the last couple years have become old-fashioned, knock-down, drag-out affairs, not just because of the serious incidents involving Randy Jones and Patrice Bergeron, and Scott Hartnell and Andrew Alberts, but also because both teams have regained a spot near the top of the NHL and are built on hard work and physical play.

“I think it will be good. We’re both emotional, very passionate teams that play hard. It’ll be a good game. It’s been a bit of a rivalry for the last little while, so it’ll be fun,” Thornton said.

Odds are that the heat of the rivalry won’t do much to raise the actual temperature at Fenway New Year’s Day. The mayor predicted 28 degrees and some snowflakes and all the players at the conference accepted the fact that it will be cold with frigid possibilities. Thornton said he’ll probably ask some of his old Chicago buddies what they did to stay warm during last season’s Classic (as well as how they dealt with sun glare, etc.) and Philadelphia goaltender Ray Emery said he learned some tricks last season in the KHL All-Star game played in Red Square.

Regardless of the weather, history is going to be made Jan. 1, and the Bruins will be right in the thick of it.

“I have to say, thinking about years (ago) when I first saw the first Winter Classic in Buffalo in 2007, I really knew that this would work in Boston,” said Bruins Principal Charlie Jacobs. “I knew that we deserved it here. I’m so proud today to be on this podium with these people to be talking about an event on New Year’s Day. For us hockey outside in Boston, it’s going to be a very special day.”