WINTER IS COMING: 5 future Winter Classics the NHL needs to play

When the NHL takes its game outside for the annual Winter Classic on New Year's Day, it's impossible not to take notice.

The novelty of seeing professional hockey played outdoors is unrivaled in other major American sports. Sure, college basketball on the deck of an aircraft carrier is cute, but it's not a spectacle like a hockey game played in the elements.

Yet, amid all of the college football played on New Year's Day and the addition of more outdoor games throughout the season, the NHL must ensure its premier regular season game stays just that -- premier.

But that can only happen by ripping a page out of last year's playbook and putting on made-for-TV productions like the one we saw when the largest hockey crowd ever -- 104,000 fans -- packed the University of Michigan's "Big House" to see the Red Wings take on the Maple Leafs in the 2014 Winter Classic.

With that in mind, here's how teams and venues should be selected in years to come, as well the five Winter Classic games the NHL should make happen:

COLD WEATHER IS A MUST: Sorry Los Angeles, but the Winter Classic is played during, well, winter! Snow makes for poor hockey conditions, but tremendous TV. And the word snow just simply doesn't exist in the lexicons of South Beach or Hollywood. 

THE VENUE MUST MAKE SENSE: The NHL wouldn’t pit Chicago against St. Louis at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, would it? Neutral sites are a plus, but if it’s not a pure home game for one team, the game should be played at a venue accessible to both markets (see No. 1 below).

THERE HAS TO BE A HOOK: Sure, the Blackhawks and Capitals have the requisite star power to get our juices flowing, but this year’s matchup doesn’t exactly scream classic grudge match. The Winter Classic should be reserved for historical rivals or teams with blossoming rivalries.

THE BIGGER THE VENUE, THE BETTER: See "2014 Winter Classic." Over 100,000 rabid hockey fans crammed into the country’s largest stadium during a snow storm -- 'nuff said. (Hint: You'll see two college football stadiums on my list).

THE NEW YEARS DAY FACTOR: Does the confluence of the previous four criteria move the average joe's meter on one of sports biggest days? Is the spectacle grand enough to compete with the wonderful platter of college football bowl games play Jan. 1?

Still with me? Taking all of that into account, here are the five Winter Classic matchups and sites that the sports world needs to see:

Ohio Stadium - Columbus, Ohio

5. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS vs. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS at Ohio Stadium 
Will the buzz be big enough in Columbus to fill the Buckeyes’ massive stadium? I think so. Last year’s first round playoff matchup between these two teams produced one of the most entertaining series of the postseason. And remember: the Steel City is just a three-hour drive from Columbus. To once again see 100,000 hockey fans flood one of college football’s best venues would produce a spectacle worthy of Winter Classic branding.

Coors Field - Denver, Colo.

4. DETROIT RED WINGS vs. COLORADO AVALANCHE at Coors Field
It’s time to stoke the fires of this former Western Conference rivalry. The two teams met in the postseason five times between 1996 and 2002, three of those meetings coming in the Western Conference Finals. Claude Lemieux’s hit from behind on Kris Draper in the 1996 playoffs gave way to an on-ice brawl between the two teams the following season. Rekindling this rivalry on the Winter Classic stage would be well worth it. Plus, it’s evident the Red Wings know how to bring it with their custom jerseys for this game.

Gillette Stadium - Foxboro, Mass.

3. BOSTON BRUINS vs. MONTREAL CANADIENS at Gillette Stadium
Staging hockey’s most important regular season game in the home of the New England Patriots makes me want to dry heave. However, I could put up with a little gastrointestinal discomfort to see hockey’s oldest rivalry unfold on an outdoor sheet of ice. Just imagine the hordes of poutine-craving Canadiens fans pouring over the New Hampshire border, making a bee-line for Foxboro. The atmosphere would be akin to a Game 7. While the Bruins have already hosted a Winter Classic, they should get another if it means an outdoor matchup against their most hated rival.

Beaver Stadium - State College, Pa.

2. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS VS. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS at Penn State
Sure, the governor might have to call the National Guard into Happy Valley, but what else are you supposed to spend taxpayer money on these days? Is this matchup too regional? Maybe. But people would surely tune in to see how 50,000 cheesesteak-eating, potty-mouthed Flyers fans get along with 50,000 Penguins fans who make the 2½-hour drive east. Perhaps no Winter Classic matchup has more potential wow factor. It checks all the boxes – rivalry, winter elements, unique venue, buzz. I think Pierre McGuire just wet himself.

And the No. 1 Winter Classic venue/matchup is…

Lambeau Field - Green Bay, Wisc.

1. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS vs. MINNESOTA WILD at Lambeau Field
Duh! This makes so much sense on so many different levels. Green Bay is practically halfway between Chicago and the Twin Cities, it’s colder than Winterfell (seriously, when is "Game of Thrones" coming back?) and it’s home to the NFL’s most storied stadium.

Just a 3½-hour drive north of Chi Town and about 4 hours from St. Paul, Lambeau is close enough to get fans from both teams to come out in droves in the same way the Toronto and Detroit fan bases converged on Ann Arbor last year. Not to mention, it would provide Brett Favre the ideal platform to announce that he’s once again coming out of retirement -- and then change his mind 10 minutes later.