from Adam Proteau of The Hockey News,

If the NHL chooses to cancel its Winter Classic event this week, it will mark a new low for a league that has become an expert in public relations excavations.

I’m not trying to convince you one cancelled game is in and of itself more heinous than the hundreds of regular-season contests already kiboshed in this latest lockout travesty that has become standard operating procedure for the league’s owners. However, there’s something exceedingly nauseating about both the symbolism and ramifications on the ground that would come with the cancellation of this marquee event.

To begin with, there’s the undeniable fact the Winter Classic has, in just half a decade, become one of the league’s hottest properties. For many, the outdoor showdown carries more cachet than the All-Star Game. The WC is also linked to HBO’s “24/7” behind-the scenes series, another recent and successful innovation. NBC, the U.S. network that broadcasts the game, has been very pleased with the ratings it receives from the New Year’s Day event.

But all the momentum the NHL has built with this product will be balled up and pitched into the trash the moment they mothball it.

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