How to Prepare for the Winter Classic

So, you've decided that you want to sit outside in a baseball or football stadium with tens of thousands of other screaming fans watching your favourite team take to the ice for the NHL Winter Classic?  Having recently witnessed the 2014 Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, I really can't blame you!

2014 NHL Winter Classic – Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings

But, how do you go about preparing for the Winter Classic?  What should you bring?  And where do you get tickets?  These are all valid questions, and I will break it down step-by-step what I believe are the key factors one should prepare for when attending a Winter Classic event!

Tickets
First things first – you can’t go to the Winter Classic unless you have tickets!  But, where do you get tickets?  How much are they?  When do they become available?

2014 NHL Winter Classic & AHL Outdoor Game Tickets

Typically, the next Winter Classic is announced sometime during end of the Regular Season (end of March/early April), which gives fans about 8 – 9 months to prepare.  That being said, it would be a fair estimate to say that Winter Classic tickets will go on sale around the end of Summer before the NHL pre-Season starts (late August).  Tickets can range anywhere from $120 - $350 US depending on where the game is being hosted, the size of the venue, the teams playing, and expected demand.

Fans entering Michigan Stadium for the 2014 NHL Winter Classic

There are typically four ways you can get Winter Classic tickets:

• Ticketmaster/Waiting Lists for Home or Visiting teams
• Second Hand (e.g. Scalpers, StubHub, Craigslist, etc.)
• Tour packages
• Contests/Prize Giveaways

Nick and I ultimately booked a tour package with Elite Sports Tours.  Not only did they guarantee us tickets, but they also took care of the other important factors for this event, such as accommodation and transportation.  Detroit is a five hour drive from Toronto, so for us to book a tour package made sense as this was beyond your typical “day trip.”

Transportation
Once you have gotten tickets to the Winter Classic, the next thing you need to consider is transportation.  How are you going to get to the event?

Crossing into Detroit via Coach Bus

Booking with Elite Sports Tours meant that Nick and I did not have to worry at all about driving down to Detroit.  The company booked several coach buses, so there was about 200 - 250 of us that headed down for the game!  The buses also took us from our hotel in Detroit to Ann Arbor, which is about a 45 minute drive west of downtown.  However, due to poor driving conditions and an overnight snowfall, it took us nearly 2 hours just to get to Michigan Stadium!

A festive downtown Detroit

If you live within a couple hours' of the venue, then it makes more sense to drive your own vehicle. Parking near Michigan Stadium was $60/car or $300/bus.  How this compares to previous Winter Classic events or how it will compare to future ones is really hard for me to say.  Feel free to use these parking charges as a benchmark while you budget for your Winter Classic trip.

Celebrating New Year's Eve in Detroit

A third option would be to either take a train or fly down to the host city if you choose not to book via a tour package nor are within driving distance of the Venue.  With the exception of Detroit, all the previous Winter Classic hosts held their games within the city either at the nearest Major League Baseball park or the nearest National Football League stadium.  From your hotel, you can either take a cab or consider taking public transit, such as bus or subway, if they are available.

Accommodation
If the Winter Classic is within a couple hours’ driving distance from you, then finding Accommodation is not necessary.  In my case, going to Detroit was more than just a day trip for Nick and I, so finding a hotel was necessary.  This was of course taken care of by Elite Sports Tours, so we ended up staying at the St. Regis Detroit.

Singing of the National Anthems

My advice is if you are looking to book your own hotel, then book sooner rather than later and consider staying just outside the downtown area or away from the venue hosting the Winter Classic.  You will find prices are inflated by almost 100% if not more.

Official seat warmers for the 2014 NHL Winter Classic

Other options you might consider to keep costs within reason are looking at renting an apartment for a few days, staying at a hostel, Couch Surfing, booking a Bed and Breakfast or staying with family or friends that live in the host city.

Passport
Since the Winter Classic is always held in an American city, it is important that you have a valid Passport if coming in from Canada.  Of course, if you live in the States, then you don’t need to worry about this tidbit of information.

2014 NHL Winter Classic – Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings

Clothing/Personal Items/Cash
Bare minimum you should bring with you a winter coat, boots, gloves, and a toque or ear muffs.  I supposed we could have also brought snow pants in Detroit as it was certainly warranted in this case.

Bundled up for the Winter Classic!

As for personal items, less is more.  You can bring cameras into the game, but no “audio recording devices” nor video cameras.  You are probably now scratching your head in bewilderment and asking yourself, “don’t most modern digital cameras have audio recording and video recording capabilities?”  Yes, but the NHL, NBC, and host venue are more concerned with you bringing in professional quality cameras and camcorders to resell images for a profit.  Lenses are supposed to be 6” or less, so all point-and-click cameras and most DSLR cameras should be fine to bring in.

List of prohibited items for the NHL Winter Classic

Personal bags, such as camera bags and purses, may or may not be allowed into the game as this will vary from venue to venue.  In our case, Michigan Stadium would not even allow camera bags – even those for small point-and-shoot cameras.  This was to curb people from sneaking in food and drinks into the Stadium.  Make sure you read up on the Venue rules on the NHL’s website in the weeks leading up to the event!

2014 NHL Winter Classic – Toronto Maple Leafs take the lead

As for cash, you should be fine with $50 -  $100 US.  Beers typically cost around $10 US, and food, such as hot dogs and hamburgers, will range anywhere from $4 - $7 US.  There will be plenty of spots to purchase souvenirs, such as jerseys, game programs, and pucks.  This will range anywhere from $10 - $200 US roughly.

Fans leaving Michigan Stadium after a fun-filled Winter Classic

And there you have it – five basic factors to consider when preparing for the Winter Classic.  If you have attended a previous Winter Classic, and would like to share some of your tips, please feel free to do so in the comment section below.  Otherwise, if you are reading this because you are planning to go or are going to the next Winter Classic, it's a blast and something you’ll never forget.