Here is the transcript, courtesy of ASAP and the NHL, on the "official" announcement of the Winter Classic on New Year's Day between the Bruins and Flyers at Fenway Park ... this was at Fenway this afternoon:
2010 NHL BRIDGESTONE
WINTER CLASSIC
NEWS CONFERENCE
DOC EMRICK: Good afternoon, everyone. We are thrilled to be here at great old 97 year old Fenway Park on a warm day in July to make an announcement about the winter sports calendar, an exciting announcement that it is. Commissioner Gary Bettman will do so in just a moment.
Not all of us on this stage and watching this had the good fortune to be born in New England. A lot of us just get to visit here every once in a while. We're proud to not only be here, visit, watch sports here, but to watch on television as well.
There will be television coverage of this event, radio coverage, as well as lots of excitement generated between now and then as we let our imaginations take hold, and some of it is not really open to imagination because you can see the layout of what will happen here later on in this hockey season.
As you look around this historic place, you will be glad to know, as one of the Red Sox officials says, the tentacles of the Evil Empire, as you can tell on the board behind the Philadelphia Flyers jersey – [Philadelphia Phillies] have not gotten to anything more than three games behind the Boston Red Sox at the All Star break. There's the triangle in right center, Williamsburg in that one red seat, 502 feet away from home plate, where Ted Williams parked one, 200 feet closer is the Pesky Pole in the corner. Imagine from rightfield in the bullpen all the way back to the third baseline, that's where Babe Pirelli and the Patriots, and earlier a team called the Redskins, that later moved to Washington, played on this field. There was a soccer team that was called the Beacons that also played here. We think of all of that and then you look at the configuration of the way it's set for this sport, and it's time now for the announcement.
So to make the announcement about the first time our sport comes to this hallowed place is the commissioner of the NHL, Gary Bettman.
COMMISSIONER BETTMAN: Thank you, Doc. Although I think you made the announcement.
Good afternoon and welcome to beautiful Fenway Park. In a very short time, the Winter Classic has become a hallmark event of the NHL regular season. Our fans have turned the Winter Classic into a time to celebrate not just the two teams that happen to be playing, but our game itself.
Our teams that have participated have enjoyed the experience. The sponsors that we have, great sponsors, recognize the significance of the day and its powerful reach in terms of reaching the best sports audience there is. And there is a strong desire to be associated with this terrific game.
Our broadcasters, NBC, CBC and RDS, more about NBC in a moment, have joined with us to create appointment viewing for hockey on a day that formerly belonged to college football. We barely dropped the puck for the opening faceoff at the Winter Classic, and the speculation begins about where we're going to play the game next.
There is buildup of excitement and anticipation that's great for our fans. It's great for the growth of our sport. It's great for the communities to which we bring this great outdoor event. And the community engagement is particularly important to us.
So I am pleased to end the speculation on perhaps what has been the worst kept secret there is. And in 2010, a unique, iconic event, which certainly deserves a unique and iconic venue, will be played here at Fenway Park. So officially on behalf of the National Hockey League, the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic will be played here at Fenway Park. The Boston Bruins will host the Philadelphia Flyers on New Year's Day.
Picture it. New Year's Day. Two great teams and the Green Monster as the backdrop. These ingredients, the Bruins, the Flyers, Fenway, we think comprise a perfect recipe for another landmark NHL moment in this landmark setting.
The City of Boston and Fenway Park will be the center of the hockey universe as fans around the world welcome a new year and celebrate a new stage for an outdoor tradition.
As you know, NBC was a key contributor in the creation of this tradition. I am also pleased to announce today that the NHL and NBC have extended our broadcast partnership for another two years. NBC will carry the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic from Fenway as the first event of our extended agreement.
The Winter Classic began in Buffalo's stadium two seasons ago and attracted more than 70,000 fans to the game between the Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins, selling out in 20 minutes. Last year we brought the Winter Classic to Wrigley Field in Chicago for a contest between the Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings. A capacity crowd of more than 40,000 fans jammed into Wrigley Field, and another quarter of a million were on a waiting list for tickets. Last year's Winter Classic at Wrigley was viewed by 5.6 million people in North America, the largest U.S. viewing audience of a regular season game in 34 years.
So let's take a couple of moments and relive some of the magic of the Winter Classic.
(Video Shown.)
COMMISSIONER BETTMAN: This is going to be fun. Let me give you a few notes. Ticket sales information will be announced in the weeks to come. In terms of the precise rink orientation and placement on the field, we are still in the process of completing a site survey to determine the best viewing experience, not only here at Fenway for those who will be watching us on television, although this gives you a rough idea of what it's going to look like.
In terms of NHL ancillary events around the Winter Classic, those are in the planning stages, as well, although it is our intention to do a variety of things we've never done before to incorporate the community in more than just the game itself.
We want to be able to offer our fans the best hockey entertainment experience inside and outside of Fenway to capture the special magic of this event.
So in sum, we are delighted to bring this great event to a city with so much history and so much sports history. We thank the Bruins and the Flyers for their cooperation, and particularly the players, coaches, management that are here from both clubs today. We thank the Players Association and Paul Kelly for cooperating, as well. We thank the Boston Red Sox and Major League Baseball for the great hospitality. We thank Mayor Menino and the City of Boston for a gracious welcome and support. And, of course, we thank and welcome back Bridgestone as presenting sponsor.
It should be an outstanding event, and we are all very much looking forward to it. And despite the fact that it's 80 degrees and the middle of July, Happy New Year, Boston.
Now it is my great pleasure to introduce the owner of the Bruins, a great owner for a great original six franchise, an owner whose knowledge of the game and passion for the game is perhaps unrivaled in any sport. He also happens to be one of my bosses and the chairman of the board of the NHL, Jeremy Jacobs.
JEREMY JACOBS: [pointing to a fan] Politically correct, Red Sox hat, Bruins shirt.
Good afternoon, and thank you all for being here today for this special announcement.
Last year a reporter from USA Today commented that being selected for this event is like being awarded the NHL's version of the Olympic bid. You know, he had it right. In Boston we have been home to more than our fair share of great sport moments. On New Year's Day 2010, we will be adding another indelible memory to that long list.
In just a few short years, the Winter Classic has become one of the greatest events in professional sports. And today we are honored to be selected on behalf of the hockey fans of Boston and New England.
It is their passion for the Bruins that have made this possible. To my friends, John Henry, Larry Lucchino, Tom Warner, and the great staff at Fenway Park, thank you. Our team looks forward to working closely with you to produce a special sporting experience in the unforgettable setting of these hallowed grounds.
To Commissioner Bettman, thank you to this honor for selecting the Bruins and the City of Boston for the privilege of hosting the next Winter Classic. You will not be disappointed.
To our players, I know this is a very special day for you, it will be a very special day for you all, and one you will remember for a lifetime. And most important to our Boston Bruins fans, hockey lovers throughout New England, the in NHL fans across the world, thank you. We look forward to delivering something worthy of your passionate support. This Winter Classic is dedicated to you. Thank you all.
It is my pleasure to introduce my son Charlie, working closely with the NHL and the Red Sox organization to finalize the details of this great event, he lives for this game, and I'm sure he's going to want to take a spin on that and tell his grandkids. Thank you all.
CHARLIE JACOBS: Look at this, everybody, July 15th, and we're talking about hockey, and we're in Fenway Park. Doesn't get any better. I want to thank first and foremost Commissioner Bettman and of course John Collins, who I worked very closely with on trying to bring this game and this event here to Fenway. I also do want to thank, of course, Mayor Menino who helped in our campaign on Boston's behalf. Thank you, Your Honor. I also want to thank Peter Luukko and the Flyers organization for being willing to partake in this event on New Year's Day. Thank you, Peter. I also do want to thank, of course, Bridgestone and NBC and CBC for their coverage, all of those coming together to make this event a special day that it is.
I have to say, thinking about years gone when I first saw the first Winter Classic in Buffalo in 2007, I really knew that this would work in Boston. 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.
I did want to mention a few other items. We have worked very closely with the National Hockey League and Commissioner Bettman in securing up to about a thousand seats for our youth hockey contingency here in New England. Our hope is that as time passes we'll be passing on information about how our young kids who go to the rink every day most cases here in New England will have an opportunity to participate in such an historic event. It is now my honor to pass this podium over to Mayor Menino. Thank you.
MAYOR THOMAS MENINO: Thank you very much. We first of all thank Commissioner Bettman, the NHL, for having this very special event in America's most beloved ballpark. I'm really thrilled to host the 2010 Winter Classic on New Year's Day. This will bring a new meaning to New Year's Day in Boston. Before and after the event, the NHL with the Bruins and the Red Sox, many events for the people of Boston.
The Bruins plus Fenway Park really equals a once in a lifetime experience for our city. Boston is a perfect fit for the Winter Classic. The Bruins, an original six team, rich in history and championship. The Bruins were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference last season and are poised for another successful year. Our city has the most passionate fans in the country.
The Winter Classic, more of a great hockey game between the Bruins and the Flyers, will be a celebration open to everyone. Today I'm proud to announce that there will be two days of public skating. This will allow families and children to have a chance to experience the ice, just like their favorite players. I'm proud we could work together to create this unforgettable opportunity for Boston residents.
Hockey is a global game. Boston is a global city. I look forward to the Winter Classic, drawing fans from around the world to our city. Another major platform to showcase the people, culture, local businesses that make our city special. Once again I want to thank the Jacobs for having the foresight to work with the Red Sox to choose to have this game this year. I want to say to them thank you for thinking about the fans of Boston and New England.
While it's July, I love summer, I can't wait to be back here New Year's Day. It will be 28 degrees, little snowflakes coming down, Marc Savard, Tim Thomas, all the Bruins out here against the Flyers. Thank you for a great opportunity for our city. Thanks a million.
DOC EMRICK: Representing now our hosts, those who have said yes to a hockey game on their field, from the Boston Red Sox, president and CEO Larry Lucchino.
LARRY LUCCHINO: Thank you, Doc. Thank you for those kind words about America's most beloved ballpark. My functions today are very few. I want to, on behalf of John Henry, chairman Tom Warner, our entire organization, join with the mayor and welcome the NHL world to Fenway Park. We are really looking forward to this special event and we will do everything within our power to make this as smooth, as comfortable, as enjoyable, as successful a Winter Classic as you have ever had. It is our great joy to welcome you today, and that welcome will continue for the next six months as we work together to make this a memorable Winter Classic.
I also want to express a couple more sentiments. One, what an honor it is. This is an extraordinary event. We think Fenway is, as Doc said, iconic and historic. So is the Winter Classic. It is becoming so. To put these two together is a great honor for us, a great privilege for us, a great opportunity for us. So we want to be sure that you know, Commissioner, how pleased we are that you have selected us.
This selection would not have been possible without the vision and the dogged determination of the Bruins ownership. Jeremy Jacobs and Charlie Jacobs were determined that this game belonged in Fenway Park. There has been a long gestation period for it, and they have been pushing for it from the beginning, recognizing that pond hockey, outdoor hockey, winter and hockey and Boston and New England go together perfectly.
This is a great baseball town, make no mistake about it, perhaps as good as there is in America, but this is also a good hockey town. To add to this great hockey town this special event of the Winter Classic is indeed a great honor for us.
I want to thank the NHL for their vision, and I include in that the Commissioner and John Collins who is here. We pledge to work comfortably with you in the months ahead. I'd like to thank the people at the Red Sox who worked on this, senior executive Sam Kennedy, Jonathan Gilula, Jennifer Flynn. This will be a partnership as we march forward. We look forward to doing that.
Finally, I would be remiss if I sat down without saying this has been a great team effort. Like a lot of the great things that happen in Boston, in the vibrant challenging, imaginative, enjoyable City of Boston that we have here, it stems in large part from the leadership provided by the mayor. Mayor Menino, I'd like to take that opportunity for jumping into this fray, making sure that this game came to Fenway Park, came to Boston, came to New England in 2010. It's a very fitting place for it. We're proud and honored to have it. We thank you all for the work you've done to make this happen. Thank you very much.
DOC EMRICK: There is a New England connection to the representative from the Philadelphia Flyers today. You enrolled as a sports marketing major, and did it ever turn out great for a career that continues on. Sports marketing major at UMass, and from the Flyers, the president and Comcast Spectacor, chief operating officer, welcome Peter A. Luukko.
PETER LUUKKO: Thank you, Mike. This is a great day for the Philadelphia Flyers. If I could take a minute on behalf of Ed Snider and the Philadelphia Flyers organization, I'd really like to congratulation Mayor Menino, the City of Boston, the Jacobs family, Jeremy and Charlie, and the Red Sox organization, Larry Lucchino, congratulations. This is a fantastic event. We're thrilled for you, you won the bid for this great event.
This is a big day for the Flyers. To be the opponent of the Boston Bruins here at Fenway Park is a great moment for our Flyers organization, all of us with the Flyers, and especially for our fans. Our fans are pumped to see this event coming. We have community meetings throughout the year. They always want to talk about when are the Flyers going to be in the Winter Classic, and now we're there. So we're very pleased with that. That's a special day.
We brought three of the guys here. Brian Boucher is from Rhode Island, Red Sox fan. Ray Emery, Braydon Coburn, coach John Stevens. This is a special moment for the players. Most of these guys grew up pond hockey players and had such great moments. To play on a worldwide stage at the Winter Classic I think is special for a player.
If I can talk about the Bruins, the Bruins and the fantastic rivalry we've had with the Bruins over the years. It's been special to us. The Flyers have had some of their greatest moments against the Boston Bruins. 1974 we won our first Stanley Cup against the Boston Bruins. Ron Hextall became the first goalie in the history of the National Hockey League to score a goal. That was against the Boston Bruins. We won our 500th game against the Boston Bruins, and Bobby Clarke played his 1,000th game against the Boston Bruins. I know it works both ways. There's been many great Bruins moments against us, but I'll leave that to the Jacobs to talk about. I am on last, by the way (laughter).
It's been a great rivalry and as many of you know, we came into the league in 1967 when Ed Snider bought the Flyers as an expansion franchise. Our rivalry started fairly quickly. First in the early '70s it was the Big Bad Bruins, and the two Stanley Cups they won in the early '70s, followed up by the Broad Street Bullies, the two Stanley Cups that we won more in the mid '70s.
If you look at our teams, and the rivalries continue to this day, they mirror each other so much. It's really amazing. When you look at, yes, we have our speed, we have the skill of the game, but the Bruins and the Flyers have always been hard working, hard hitting, lunch pail teams, the type of teams that fans love to see. They've got their stars, but they also have the players that work hard. Over the years, Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, Cam Neely is here today, Bobby Clarke, Billy Barber and others. As we all know our fans also love the guys who worked really hard, Terry O'Reilly, Bob Kelly, Dave Schultz, the players alike, Paul Holmgren from our organization, Eddie Westfall from when I was young, the hard working guys. Our teams really I think have exemplified what hockey is all about, and that's the team game, where everybody has a role and everybody has input into the team's success.
I think that's what has made everything so special and I think our players see that tradition and want to continue that forward.
Before I leave, I want to personally note I'm from the area. I grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts, graduated from Auburn High School, University of Massachusetts. I just want to say it's a thrill for me personally and the organization to be at Fenway Park. I was that kid in the '60s, early '70s practicing my swing in front of my parents' mirrors, knocking out a few lamps here and there. Played pond hockey, I was a Bruins fan. We always would line up a net, someone would cut down from the right side, and one of your buddies would trip you so you could emulate Bobby Orr scoring that goal against St. Louis to win the Cup. You never dream that you'd see two of your favorite teams as a kid, you'd see them playing a hockey game at a stadium. I know the people in Chicago and Detroit and Buffalo and Pittsburgh and all the other NHL cities probably remember their childhood thinking about how they were a hockey fan, but now their team is playing at a baseball stadium or a football stadium. I think that's what makes the Winter Classic so special and why it's become such a showcase and a worldwide showcase for that matter. I think it has been extra special.
Of course, that was then. This is now. I have been with the flyer organization over 20 years. I just want to say we'll be here New Year's Day ready to compete, ready to play, but at the same time this will be one of the most memorable moments in Flyers history. Thank you.
DOC EMRICK: Finally an event like this could not take place without the cooperation of the National Hockey League Players Association. Please look again at the centerfield video board as we here from the executive director of the NHLPA, Paul Kelly.
[Per video message]
PAUL KELLY: Good afternoon. I'm Paul Kelly with the National Hockey League Players Association. I apologize for not being able to be there this afternoon as myself and my staff are over in Europe in our European player meetings, but I wanted to take this opportunity on behalf of the players of the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers and the entire membership of the NHLPA to say what a great event this is, the Winter Classic. It's been terrific in Buffalo and in Chicago, and it will be a great event here in Boston, as well.
The players of the NHLPA really embrace this event. We hear from our players all the time, Is my team going to have an opportunity to play this year? The guys really look forward to it. There's a real special buzz about this event. It's been great for the players; it's been great for the game; and frankly it will be great for the loyal fans of Boston, New England, which is the hub of hockey.
As a loyal and native Bostonian myself, I can tell you that Fenway Park is a special place. I saw my first sporting event here at Fenway Park. I used to ride the subway in from Newton to buy bleacher tickets and watch the games here at Fenway. And for seven years before I joined the NHLPA, I was a season ticketholder, was fortunate enough to see two World Series played here at Fenway. And the idea of the Winter Classic being played in this great, historic sports venue with the Green Monster as a backdrop is just going to be a terrific event and terrific for our game.
So on behalf of the entire membership of the NHLPA, we're delighted to be part of this and we appreciate being here today and the players are really looking forward to January 1.
DOC EMRICK: To symbolize the joining of this sport and this city, Commissioner Bettman will present to the mayor a special hockey stick.
One final bit of history uncovered by Mr. Frank Brown, Paul Revere was born in Boston on New Year's Day, 1735. Betsy Ross was born in Philadelphia New Year's Day 1752. We will see you here on New Year's Day 2010. Boston and Philadelphia worked together pretty well back in the 18th century. They'll be pretty entertaining when we come back here in January.
Thank you again very much for your attendance this afternoon.
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