The Winter Classic could be played in Washington, D.C. in the near future, but they're not going to host the next edition of the game. That's not a statement born out of pure speculation, but rather one that comes straight from the horse's mouth. Ted Leonsis, Chairman and CEO of Monumental Entertainment, which owns the Washington Capitals, posted on his blog that D.C. is not going to be hosting the 2013 edition of the game. He also added that he believes that D.C. will host the game sometime in the future.
Currently, the leader in the clubhouse to host the 2013 Winter Classic is the Detroit Red Wings. Various members of the Red Wings organization have said that they're hopeful that they can host the game in the near future. Many current members of the Wings squad played for the team in the 2009 Winter Classic, which was played against the Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field. There's no word on whether the Wings would host the event at Comerica Park, the home of the Detroit Tigers, or the much larger Michigan Stadium.