Raw Charge, a Tampa Bay Lightning community

According to a report from ESPN's Pierre LeBrun, it appears the NHL's Heritage Classic is once again on the back burner The report states that the Heritage Classic may return for 2012-13 and that the Winter Classic remains on the league's schedule. During the post-game press conference, following this past February's game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Calgary Flames, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman noted that no plans had been made for the following season. Bettman also noted the monumental task of staging three major league events - The HC, All-Star Game and Winter Classic.- all falling within a two month time period. The Heritage Classic has only been staged twice, the first time in 2005 when the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Canadiens. The league could be looking at it from a logistical stage, but one of the biggest complaints from most at this year's Heritage Classic was the ice conditions. Something that has been mentioned by several people is to stage the All-Star Game outdoors in feasible NHL cities, where ice conditions would be a non-factor in a meaningless game. The Toronto Maple Leafs were considered front-runners for the next outdoor game in Canada, but it appears the Philadelphia Flyers will host the New York Rangers in the 2012 Winter Classic. No Canadian franchises have hosted or played in any Winter Classics since their inception. There is of course another justification for this. With next season's All-Star Game will be held in Ottawa, the Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnipeg, and the Vancouver Canucks on the brink of claiming a Stanley Cup, maybe Bettman & co. feel Canada has had enough in the last two years.

It snowed in my hometown of Saskatoon yesterday, unofficially marking the start of the 2010-11 winter. The beginning of the season is always a little tough... there's no outdoor hockey to help out. Here's an old article from the NY Times' Slapshot blog that reminds us of the fun that's still to be had. For more images of Kyrgyzstani hockey, visit this Live Journal entry from 2008. If these images don't make you want winter to get going and give us some of the good stuff, then I don't know what will. Kyrgyzstan, BTW, is not an IIHF member, so these are pretty awesome in that light.