Mike Felger weighs in on what could make this year’s Bruins team different than previous teams that couldn’t make it further than the second round of the playoffs.
It sounds like you can thank John Henry for the 2023 NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park.
The Boston Bruins announced in February they'll host the NHL's annual outdoor game at the home of the Red Sox in 2023. On Wednesday, ESPN's Kevin Weekes revealed the game will be played on Jan. 2, 2023, and that Boston will host the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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The Penguins make sense as a Bruins opponent at Fenway, considering that Fenway Sports Group -- the parent company of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool F.C. which is led by Red Sox owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner -- agreed to purchase a controlling stake in the NHL franchise in December.
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FSG also owns Fenway Park, so the 2023 Winter Classic will feature a Henry-owned team playing at a Henry-owned venue against a Boston opponent.
The game will mark the third time Boston has hosted the Winter Classic and the second such event at Fenway Park. The Bruins earned a 2-1 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway back in 2010, while the Montreal Canadiens visited the Bruins at Gillette Stadium in 2016 and left with a 5-1 victory.
