A Southern Proposal

via theother6seconds.com

With the Winter Classic fast approaching, you can guarantee a glut of posts from every angle about where the next game should be played, and who should play in it. Original Six teams and Canadian teams. Southern teams and dark horse candidates.

One Dallas Stars blogger came up with such a beautifully simple idea, that it actually has merit. The story is a couple days old, but I did not want to interfere with holiday well wishes and such.

Make the jump and let's see what the Wilderness thinks.

Cole over at The Other Six Seconds has this proposal:Minnesota Wild host the Dallas Stars at Target Field on January 1, 2011.

The idea is so simple, it's perfect. In his own words, the reasoning behind the idea:

I propose that the Dallas Stars become the first southern NHL team to participate in a Winter Classic. Understanding that freezing weather isn't always a given for North Texas on New Years Day, and taking into account the 26 years of history this franchise enjoyed before moving to the Lone Star State 16 years ago, it only makes sense for the Stars to play their outdoor game in the great state of Minnesota, with the Wild acting as the host franchise. A Winter Classic match up between the Stars and the Wild in Minnesota would be a celebration of the sport in one of the most historic regions for American hockey as a whole.

Of course I have a strong bias toward having the Wild involved in a Winter Classic. At the same time, I have a strong belief that the NHL will want to put a game in Canada in short order to appease the growing unrest north of the border. Who can blame them? Canadians have as much right to a Winter Classic, if not more, than most US markets. I can only imagine the blog posts about a game featuring the Dallas Stars before the Toronto Maple Leafs get their chance.

However, the NHL loves its southern markets, and Dallas has proven to be a solid fan base. It still turns my stomach to think back to the day the North Stars left for, of all places, Texas. However, the past is the past, and we have healed.

But damn, wouldn't it be fun to have the history of the game in the state of Minnesota play out on such a grand scale. Bring in all five of the D1 college teams and some rivals for outdoor games around the state, and perhaps get the high school level involved some how as well, and make an entire day out of it. You know, like FSN's hockey day Minnesota, except done the right way.

Back to Cole and The Other Six Seconds. He took the time to design a logo and jerseys. The logo? Brilliant. The jerseys? Hmmm... sorry Cole, I appreciate the work, but I don't like the stripes. I love the idea of the Stars wearing the old North Stars unis, but the Wild will need something a bit more TV friendly.

Head over and read the article, and let me know what you think. About the entire concept. Teams involved, logo, jerseys, etc. Let Cole know what you think, too.

-Buddha