It's official: Flyers-Rangers in Winter Classic

FORGIVE Glen Sather. Though he's been in charge of the New York Rangers since 2000, he's still stuck in the glory days of the 1980s Edmonton Oilers dynasty.

"We kicked the hell out of you twice in the Stanley Cup," Sather said. "And we're going to do the same thing on Jan. 2. And we will carry the Cup at the end of the year. Just like the Yankees will win the world championship.

"We're going to come to Philadelphia. And we're going to win."

And so it began yesterday, as Sather added fuel to a fire that needed none, when the NHL formally announced the Flyers and Citizens Bank Park as the hosts for the 2012 Winter Classic against the Rangers, to be played on Jan. 2 at 1 p.m.

Kidding or not, Flyers chairman Ed Snider wasn't about to let Sather's warm memories put a dent in Philadelphia's proud moment.

Snider, 78, bolted back to the podium - after he had already given his remarks - and stood up for the franchise he built.

"When he says we kicked the hell out of you in two Stanley Cups, he wasn't talking about the Rangers," Snider interjected. "I remember kicking the hell out of the Rangers on the way to our Cups."

Yesterday's news conference, which featured a makeshift rink dashed across the bases, was less of a newsmaking venture than the first public celebration of a unique event that is a little more than 3 months away. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called this season's matchup the "worst-kept secret in sports."

The NHL's fifth annual outdoor game is coming to Philadelphia only 2 years after the Flyers and Bruins played in Boston's Fenway Park in 2010.

"All 30 teams have expressed interest in participating in the event, even if they are in a climate that would prohibit hosting the event," Bettman said. "We knew that the Rangers had yet to participate. The Flyers put on a great show in Boston.

"As big a deal as this event is, this will only be our fifth one. It's a testament to what the event represents. People tend to lose sight of the fact that this event has gotten this large in an incredibly short period of time."

The NHL has been committed to keep the Winter Classic a rare spectacle - one game per season, so as not to dilute the buildup or make it a gimmick - despite its rating and monetary success.

The fact that it will be played in Philadelphia - where each of the major four sports franchises has reached the finals over the past 10 years - is a testament not to the climate but the Flyers' fan base.

Pittsburgh's Heinz Field hosted last season's game on Dec. 31, 2010, moved up from New Year's Day because of weather concerns. Boston's Fenway Park (2010), Chicago's Wrigley Field (2009) and Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium (2008) also hosted the game in the past. No Canadian team has ever participated or hosted the event. The game has instead helped grow the sport in the United States.

"I think it's a real tribute to where hockey has come in this marketplace," Flyers president Peter Luukko said. "In 1967, when Ed started the team, there were probably a couple of rinks and a handful of players. Today, there are 51 rinks in the area, 71 sheets of ice, and over 35,000 kids registered to play hockey in the Philadelphia market. We are a hockey town."

It's only fitting that the Flyers will face the Rangers, their division opponent since 1974. They are the closest geographic rivals to compete in the game. They are also the Flyers' most common opponent in the regular season (261 games) and Stanley Cup playoff series (10).

Ticket information for the 43,500-seat ballpark has not yet been released, though Flyers season-ticketholders will have the option to purchase as many tickets as seats they own. New York fans will have an option to purchase tickets through the Rangers, and all remaining fans will be able to enter a lottery to purchase tickets.

"Seconds," is how long Luukko estimated it would take for the event to sell out.

The Winter Classic will not be only a 1-day event. The AHL's Phantoms will battle Hershey on Jan. 6 at CBP. Penn State's men's hockey team, transitioning to Division I, will face off against Aston's Division III Neumann University, tentatively scheduled for Jan. 4.

Malvern Prep and La Salle High will face each other at Citizens Bank Park on a date yet to be set. The Flyers also will hold public skating sessions on the Winter Classic ice.

More important, the Flyers and Rangers alumni will play each other on Dec. 31. No word on whether Dave Schultz and Dale Rolfe will reunite, or which jersey Eric Lindros will wear. No player appearances have been confirmed. Tickets to all side events will be sold at deep discounts.

"The whole idea is to really get everyone in the marketplace to be able to see a game outdoors," Luukko said. "There's nothing better than that."

For the Flyers, who have only nine players remaining on the roster from the 2010 Winter Classic, playing outdoors never gets old.

"To be able to walk out of the dugout with a packed house, it's sometimes hard to imagine," Matt Carle said. "As many fans as the Flyers had at the [Fenway] game, I think it's going to be magnified even more, being a home game for us. I think if you would have asked a lot of guys, to be a part of the Winter Classic once would be a dream come true. To do it twice is really something special."