As expected, the Philadelphia Flyers will host the New York Rangers during the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.
NBC will provide the coverage of the contest on Jan. 2 at 1 p.m. (ET), while HBO will skate along for a second sophomore run of its 24/7 reality franchise for the Winter Classic.
In addition to NBC's telecast from Citizens Bank in Philadelphia, CBC and RDS will provide coverage in Canada of the fifth iteration of the NHL Winter Classic.
For its part, HBO will step onto the ice for a second time with the puck sport's midseason showcase event, following its presentation of Penguins/Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic last season.
HBO Sports' high-definition presentations of Flyers/Rangers: Road to the Winter Classic faces off on Dec. 14 at 10 p.m. followed by an immediate encore at 11 p.m.
With HBO crews embedded with the clubs, the three ensuing episodes of the series will air on Wednesdays on Dec. 21 and Dec. 28 and Jan. 4, just two days after the Classic. All four episodes will have multiple replay dates on HBO, and the series will also be available on HBO On Demand and HBO GO.
"Taking our reality series ‘24/7' into the world of the National Hockey League proved to be a perfect fit," said HBO Sports executive producer Rick Bernstein a statement. "The 24/7 franchise is fashioned on larger-than-life personalities, engaging storylines and unrestricted access. Clearly, we had all those ingredients last December and the New York-Philadelphia rivalry should spark another terrific series."
Noted NHL COO Collins: "We are thrilled to be teaming up with HBO's 24/7 again this year as last season's ground-breaking series did a masterful job of changing the way people think about hockey and its players. The Emmy-award winning program managed to reveal a great deal of the mystery, nuance and passion in the game and helped create new NHL fans. This year's Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic between two iconic organizations, as well as bitter rivals in the Flyers and Rangers promises to give fans another unique look at the intense road to hockey's greatest outdoor event as only HBO can deliver."
