There Won't Be A Yankee Stadium Winter Classic Anytime Soon

There has been a lot of discussion lately surrounding next year's Winter Classic, and much speculation on who will be hosting such an event. Pittsburgh has been mentioned. Washington has been mentioned. Minnesota has been mentioned. Yankee Stadium has long been considered one of the most logical places to hold the event, though.

It's brand new, yet historic at the same time. It's one of those venues that just screams 'have your special event here!' But for at least the next several years, the NHL won't be holding their marquee event at the Stadium.

From MLB.com:

Yankee Stadium will host the inaugural New Era Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 30, 2010, the Yankees announced at a news conference on Tuesday morning, held in conjunction with the Big 12 Conference, the Big East Conference, ESPN and New Era.

[...]

New Era Cap Company, the event's title sponsor, agreed to a four-year deal, while the Big 12 and Big East are both committed through 2013.

No, this bowl game won't be held on New Years' Day like the Classic is each year. But judging off of previous events, the NHL likes (or needs) their outdoor rink setup days in advance of the January 1 game for promotions, youth games and other hype-building events.