During a pit stop in the Twin Cities on his way back to New York on Monday, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman spent Monday afternoon touring Target Field and TCF Bank Stadium with Craig Leipold as the Wild owner continued his lengthy effort to bring Minnesota an outdoor game.
"It's something we know the club wants, that Craig wants and the fans want, and we'll be responsive," Bettman said before watching Monday night's Wild-Calgary Flames game from Leipold's suite. "I can't give you a date or a venue yet."
Bettman said Minnesota "absolutely" deserves an outdoor game, and he called both outdoor stadiums "very, very attractive."
"The fans, the hockey environment, the weather, this is the State of Hockey after all," Bettman said. "We're very focused on Minnesota."
Leipold has spent years trying to convince Bettman that Minnesota deserves the Winter Classic, which is the NHL's New Year's Day signature event. The league held four "stadium-series" games this season at Yankee Stadium, Dodger Stadium and Soldier Field, but Leipold has held out for the actual Winter Classic.
But when the 2015 Winter Classic was awarded to the Washington Capitals, Leipold changed his tune and informed the league he would accept a stadium-series game if it helps the Wild lure the Winter Classic.
Bettman said it's not an exaggeration to say Leipold ends every e-mail exchange between the two hinting that he wants an outdoor game.
"We talk on a regular basis, and somehow it manages to come up in almost every conversation, too" Bettman said. "Listen, he's passionate about hockey, he's passionate about the Wild, he's passionate about the fans here in Minnesota and he wants to cause something that would be fun."
