It's just over two weeks away from the Winter-Classic-don't-call-it-the-Ice-Bowl between the Sabres and Penguins in Ralph Wilson Stadium and you can tell the Sabres are getting more interested in talk about the outdoor game. The snowy video of the Bills' game in Cleveland Sunday had many players laughing at practice Monday about the chance their contest might be played under those conditions.
Cracked coach Lindy Ruff: "I've been walking around outside a lot trying to get used to the weather."
The NHL held a media conference call Monday afternoon with Sabres goatender Ryan Miller and Pittsburgh forward Adam Hall, who were Michigan State teammates for the 2001 outdoor game at MSU's Spartan Stadium that drew a world record crowd of more than 74,000.
And later in the afternoon, NBC announced it's bringing heavy hitter Bob Costas on board to host its coverage. Costas is on stranger to hockey as he served as the play-by-play commentator for the Syracuse Blazers of the old Eastern Hockey League in 1973-74 and also occasionally filled in for the late Dan Kelly on KMOX's St. Louis Blues radiocasts in the last 70s and early 80s.
Costas is expected to be the pregame and intermission host, with Mike Emrick and Ed Olczyk expected to call the game action.
Click here to get a look at NBC's Winter Classic commercial. Probably like the game will be: Heavy on all Sidney Crosby all the time.
---Mike Harrington
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NHL | Sabres | Winter Classic
