Frozen Out

According to Steve Zipay, the Rangers are among the favorites to play in the next Winter Classic... and they're not likely to face the Islanders. Ugh.

There's already opposition from the baseball world against giving the Rangers the nod, mainly because some purists feel Yankee Stadium's final act shouldn't be a hockey game. Well, better a hockey game than another first-round exit, right? Besides, does it really matter? Trust me, if the Yankees win the World Series, nobody will be complaining about a hockey game being played two or three months afterward.

The big issue, at least from an Islander fan's perspective, is the fact that the Isles are far from a favorite to be included. Rumor has it that the NHL and NBC both want an Original Six team; Zipay says Red Sox owners are pushing for a home-and-home between the Rangers and Bruins. That would ruin the Winter Classic more than the Islanders ever could. However, it's more than a decent possibility, thanks to the one force that nobody can fight in the sports world.

You guessed it. ESPN.

That's right. The same network that is trying its best to kill the NHL could be the most influential figure in the destination of the Winter Classic. We all know that, in ESPN's world, only three teams matter - the Yankees, the Red Sox, and the Patriots. Every other sports team in the world is tied for fourth. As such, ESPN would love nothing more to fellate itself one more time to the proverbial porn that is the Boston-New York rivalry. Horrid imagery aside, the truth is that ESPN would promote the hell out of this thing, just to shove the whole Yankees-Red Sox dynamic even futther down our throats. Even if it means actually acknowledging hockey as a legitimate sport.

In such a scenario, the Islanders would be on the outside looking in. And you know what? They kind of deserve to be.

I know, I know. When I first read the news about the Islanders potentially missing out on the opportunity to play in the Winter Classic, I was pretty upset. Offended, even. After all, the Islanders are the ideal opponent for the Rangers; certainly, the Islanders are the most hated of the Rangers' many rivals. Why would the NHL forgo an ideal opponent for another tired rehash of the New York-Boston rivalry? Or, even worse, some other Original Six team that has no beef with the Rangers?

However, if you really think about it, it's clear why the Islanders aren't high on the NHL's list and, more importantly, even futher down on NBC's list. The reality is that the Islanders just don't draw. They only sell out on weekends, holidays, and when the Rangers come to town. Their TV ratings, while significantly improved, are still rather dismal. Not only did they not get on NBC's Sunday schedule before falling out of the playoff race, but they weren't even considered to be part of NBC's flex schedule. Get the picture?

The sad part is, if the Islanders had even won one playoff round this year, they might have a very strong case for inclusion in what has already become the NHL's showcase. The NHL is very big on promoting individual superstars these days - just look at the aggressive marketing of Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin for proof of that. Rick DiPietro, if he had an above-average supporting cast, could conceivably join that group. He has all the makings of a star; the one thing he's missing is a deep playoff run to cement him as an elite goalie in the minds of hockey fans everywhere. If the Islanders had that run this year, the whole team would have gained a ton of stature with the general public and might have had a shot at moving up to the next level. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be.

Ultimately, the Winter Classic isn't a game intending to please hockey fans. Instead, it's the NHL's best effort to convert new fans. And, while hockey fans might love to see Isles-Rangers in Yankee Stadium, the average sports fan who doesn't care about hockey is far more inclined to see the Rangers play the Bruins, Flyers, or any of the other large-market, recognizable teams out there. It's a shame, too, because the Islanders could put on a great show if given the opportunity. However, they ruined their own chance to do so.