The Winter Classic likely will make its New York debut on New Year's Day 2018, with an outdoor game at Citi Field in Queens between the Rangers and Sabres close to being finalized, two sources confirmed to Newsday.
The signature outdoor event for the NHL has been held all around the Eastern half of the U.S., but never in New York.
There were, however, two "Stadium Series" games, featuring the Rangers playing the Devils and Islanders, at Yankee Stadium in late January, 2014. The most recent Winter Classic was at Busch Stadium in St. Louis between the Blues and Blackhawks on Jan. 2.
The Rangers have played in one prior Winter Classic, against the Flyers in Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia in 2012. The planned selection of the Sabres for the next installment is a nod to Buffalo hosting the first Winter Classic in 2008 and this next one will be the 10th such game.
There were rumored talks of the Rangers hosting the Winter Classic at West Point, but those plans apparently did not materialize for the upcoming season.
