NHL Notebook: 2024 Winter Classic, Joe Pavelski Extension and More

January 1st is always a great day on the hockey calendar. Not only does it mark the beginning of the New Year, but the NHL Winter Classic is played. The 2023 Winter Classic was played on January 2nd because the 1st fell on a Sunday and the NFL was on TV. Games were played over New Year’s weekend after the NHL resumed last Tuesday following the Christmas break.

January 1st is also significant for pending free agents on one-year deals who can sign extensions. Though the NHL had its marquee game on a Monday it did not stop them from making noise over the weekend. In this edition of the NHL Notebook, we dive into where the 2024 Winter Classic will be played, Joe Pavelski‘s new contract, the 2023 Heritage Classic and much more.

NHL News & Notes: 2024 Winter Classic and Joe Pavelski

2024 Winter Classic

The NHL announced on January 2nd prior to the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins dropping the puck on the 2023 Winter Classic in Boston, that the 2024 Winter Classic will be heading to Seattle. Next year’s game will feature the last two expansion franchises with the Seattle Kraken taking on the Vegas Golden Knights. The game will be held at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. There were hints being dropped that the 2024 Winter Classic would feature a team that has never hosted before. With the success of the Kraken franchise, it made sense to go there.

This will be Seattle’s first outdoor game while the Golden Knights will be playing in their second. Vegas took on the Colorado Avalanche in the Lake Tahoe game.

Joe Pavelski’s Extension With Dallas

On Sunday, January 1st the Dallas Stars announced a one-year contract extension for Joe Pavelski. Pavelski was entering the final year of his contract and was set to be a free agent on July 1st. The ageless wonder has been a critical member of the Stars franchise since signing in July 2019. Pavelski’s new deal will carry a salary cap hit of $3.5 million. In addition, Pavelski could receive up to $2 million in performance bonuses. This season Pavelski has 37 points (12 goals and 25 assists) in 38 games. Last year, Pavelski had a career-high of 81 points (27 goals and 54 assists) in 82 games. Such a great deal for such an integral part of the Stars’ first line of Roope Hintz and Jason Roberston.

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2023 Heritage Classic

Over the weekend the NHL announced the Edmonton Oilers will take on the Calgary Flames in the 2023 Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium. The game will be played in October and will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first-ever NHL regular-season outdoor game. The 2003 Heritage Classic featured the Oilers and Montreal Canadiens in sub-zero temperatures. Montreal won 4-3 over the Oilers, but everyone remembers the image of Jose Theodore with the toque on and blowing cold air out of his mouth.

St. Louis Blues Injuries

The St. Louis Blues announced today that captain Ryan O’Reilly will be sidelined for at least six weeks with a broken foot. Following the proper recovery, O’Reilly will be re-evaluated. O’Reilly sustained the injury blocking a shot from Cale Addison on Saturday against Minnesota.

In addition, the Blues announced Vladimir Tarasenko will be out for at least four weeks with a broken hand. Like O’Reilly, Tarasenko will be re-evaluated after the four-week timeline of recovery. General manager Doug Armstrong knew right away after Tarasenko blocked a shot from Matt Dumba with his hand. Armstrong found out about O’Reilly on Sunday.

Both O’Reilly and Tarasenko are pending UFA’s this off-season and could have been dealt at the deadline. Let’s see how these injuries affect their trade value and if they get traded.