The first regular-season outdoor NHL game in the US lived up to its billing--a classic!

A crowd of more than 71-thousand fans packed Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo(where the Bills play) to see their Sabres take on the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It was hockey out in the elements. It snowed for part of the game. The winds blew. There were the usual shirtless crazies in the crowd despite temperatures well below freezing.

The teams wore retro jerseys and talked about the frozen ponds back home where, as young boys, they grew to love the game.

One broadcaster mentioned how the event reminded him of the days when his mother used to wrap his feet in plastic bags to keep them warm so he could stay out and skate with friends a bit longer.

That's something I can remember. In the town where I grew up, they used to flood a municipal parking lot every winter so we could skate--often with those plastic bags on our feet.

As for the game itself, the NHL's best player, Sidney Crosby, won it for the Pens, 2-1, in a shoot-out.

It's no secret hockey has struggled to find an audience on TV. Low ratings for the game's biggest event, the Stanley Cup finals, are pretty much the norm.

But "The Winter Classic" was an exception. According to ESPN, more people tuned in on New Year's Day to see the NHL play outdoors than any other regular-season game in more than
10-years.

Maybe, just maybe, the snowy New Year's Day in Buffalo was just what hockey needed.

As a fan, I hope so!