HBO pulling plug on 24/7 Road to the Winter Classic series

Author:
Allan Muir
Publish date:
Sep 11, 2014

Is it really the NHL Winter Classic without HBO's 24/7 series?

We're about to find out. The popular program, which since 2011 has charted the effort, obstacles and profanity that lead up to the league's signature regular-season event, won't follow the Capitals and Blackhawks this season as they prepare for their New Year's Day showdown.

According to the report, the two sides were unable to come to terms on an agreement, leading the pay cabler to pull the plug.

“Everybody at HBO enjoyed working with the NHL and its teams on 24/7 the past four years,” Kevin Flaherty of HBO told Sportsnet. “There was never an expectation that HBO would chronicle the lead-up to the Winter Classic every year. So we will not be involved with the NHL this season.

“We wish the NHL the very best and the door will always remain open.”

Reading between those cordial lines, it's likely that ties were severed over the stack of dollars that were being paid out to the league.

Was the NHL feeling bigger in the britches after reeling in its massive Canadian TV deal with Rogers Communications earlier this year? Possibly. The league has yet to respond to a request for comment, but it seems plausible that it overplayed its hand. If that's the way it went down, it would be a critical error. The show has become one of the hallmark achievements of the the post-lockout landscape and the league clearly needed the prestige and exposure more than HBO needs NHL-branded programming.

The league does have options, though. It produced the NHL Revealed series in conjunction with last year's Stadium Series games, so a self-produced behind-the-scenes show for broadcast on NBC Sports Network or NHL Network is a possibility.

GALLERY: The NHL Outdoors

The NHL Outdoors

Heritage Classic

Since the NHL staged its first Heritage Classic, outdoor games have proved to be extremely popular with fans as well as players. And now let's take a look back at the seven spectacles the NHL has staged so far.

Nationals Park

Heritage Classic

Commonwealth Stadium hosted the NHL's first-ever outdoor game, with 57,167 hardy souls braving -20 degree temperatures on November 22, 2003. The event was intended to be a one-off.

Heritage Classic

Wayne Gretzky and Guy Carbonneau were among the Oilers and Canadiens greats who skated in an alumni game. The Great One's squad won, 2-0. Gretzky called the experience "memorable" and Habs Hall of Famer Guy LaFleur told the CBC, "It felt like we were 10 again, but with the legs of 50-year-olds."

Heritage Classic

Just chillin' in the stands: As if it wasn't cold enough, the wind chill made it feel like it was -28.

Heritage Classic

In the main game, the Canadiens prevailed over the Oilers, 4-3. Habs forward Richard Zednik (not pictured, that's Patrice Brisebois taking a tumble courtesy of Ryan Smyth) was credited with scoring the NHL's first open-air goal -- 39 seconds into the second period. It was the first of his two tallies on the night.

Heritage Classic

Canadiens goalie Jose Theodore, who made 34 saves in tne game, sported a toque in an attempt to stay warm.

Heritage Classic

The evening concluded with a fireworks display, and while the event went over quite well locally, it would be five years before the NHL would venture outdoors again.

Winter Classic

On New Year's Day, the NHL unveiled the first of its annual Winter Classics, billed as a return to the game's roots on frozen ponds. The match-up between the Pittsburgh Penguins and hometown Sabres attracted a league-record crowd of 71,217 to Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Winter Classic

It was perfect 33-degree weather for hockey as far as Buffalo's passionate fans were concerned.

Winter Classic

Snow flurries added a nice atmospheric touch, as did the teams' throwback uniforms.

Winter Classic

At times, the ice in the specially-constructed rink had to be repaired, which made for some lengthy delays. "The only tough part was snow buildup on the ice," said Sabres winger Jason Pominville. "At times there was a lot of snow, and it made it hard for guys to stickhandle and shoot."

Winter Classic

As he so often does, Sidney Crosby seized the big, nationally-televised stage and scored the game-winning goal by beating netminder Ryan Miller in a shootout. Final score: 2-1.

Winter Classic

The second edition of the Winter Classic was held in the cozier confines of a baseball stadium: Wrigley Field. The conversion to hockey required 20,000 gallons of water cooled by a huge refrigeration truck that was parked out on Sheffield Ave.

Winter Classic

The game between the Detroit Red Wings and the host Blackhawks drew a crowd of 40,818 on a slighly windy, 32-degree day. Fans also jammed the apartment rooftops across the street. Tickets went for as much as $400 apiece.

Winter Classic

The Blackhawks got Wrigley rocking by taking an early 3-1 lead, but couldn't hold it as the Red Wings roared back with five unanswered goals en route to a 6-4 win.

Winter Classic

The teams wore throwback uniforms and the atmosphere was festive on a Chicago winter's afternoon.

Winter Classic

"It was amazing -- the whole crowd, the whole atmosphere, it was really unreal," said Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane said after the game. "It's like it wasn't really happening. But it was really fun to be a part of."

Winter Classic

The game's retro feel continued with the next edition played at Fenway Park. A sellout crowd of 38,112 enjoyed almost balmy 40-degree weather as the Bruins did battle with the visiting Flyers. The snow and rain that was forecast never materialized.

Winter Classic

Fans were able to get up close and personal with the players.

Winter Classic

Flyers goalie Brian Boucher spent the game on the bench watching starter Michael Leighton stretch a shutout streak to 154 minutes 7 seconds before he was beaten by Boston's Mark Recchi with 2:18 to go in the third period. The goal tied the game at 1-1.

Winter Classic

Bruins coach Claude Julien rocked the Toe Blake look by donning a fedora.

Winter Classic

The crowd went home happy when Marco Sturm scored at 1:57 of overtime to give the Bruins a 2-1 win.

Winter Classic

Fenway's ancient scoreboard told the story.

Winter Classic

Fears about warm, inclement weather came to pass at Heinz Field as rain postponed the start of the game from 1 p.m. ET to 8 p.m.

Winter Classic

The game offered a marquee match-up of rivals: Washington's Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, who didn't mind the delay in getting started. "I don't see anything wrong with playing under the lights here," he said. "I think that'd be pretty nice. We should all be enjoying ourselves no matter what the scenario."

Untitled Image — David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated

The game was a wet, sloppy affair with rain frequently creating puddles on the ice.

Winter Classic

The home crowd didn't have much to cheer about as the Capitals won, 3-1.

Winter Classic

Despite the elements, the game drew a crowd of 68,111 and a national TV audience of 4.5 million.

Heritage Classic

Canada welcomed its second Heritage Classic on February 20, 2011, a showdown between the Flames and Canadiens in McMahon Stadium.

Heritage Classic

The Flames entered to a heroes' welcome from the crowd of 41,022. The event also featured an alumni game between members of Calgary's 1989 Stanley Cup championship team and some Montreal notables, as well as AHL and WHL games.

Heritage Classic

Like its predecessor in 2003, this affair was a freezer, with temperatures hovering around -6F. "The stands were full," Flames captain Jarome Iginla said after the game. "I expected some people to go home. I can't imagine how cold they were."

Heritage Classic

Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff was sharp, making 21 saves while posting a 4-0 shutout.

Heritage Classic

Ice conditions proved troublesome at times. The rink had to be flooded with a hose due to fears that the weight of the Zamboni would cause the brittle ice to crack and crumble.

Winter Classic

Citizens Bank Park hosted the fifth edition, drawing a boisterous crowd of 46,967 for an Atlantic Division rivalry match between the Flyers and New York Rangers.

Winter Classic

As happened in Pittsburgh, warm weather delayed the start of the game, this time from 1 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. Game time temperatures were a comfortable 41 with occasional snow flurries.

Winter Classic

Flyers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky got the start over Ilya Bryzgalov, who became a star for his musings on the universe on HBO's

24/7 Road to the Winter Classic

series.

Winter Classic

Though Rangers coach John Tortorella famously complained about the officiating, he couldn't argue with the outcome: a 3-2 New York victory,

Winter Classic

The 2013 Winter Classic between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings at 107,500-seat Michigan Stadium would have been the game's largest edition yet, but it was canceled due to the lockout. The plan is to stage it in 2014

Hockeytown Festival

As part of the Michigan Classic, Detroit's Comerica Park will host a weeklong series of events, including college, OHL and AHL games.