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BOSTON -- The prospect of an outdoor game being played at BMO Field seems to be as bleak as the soggy weather forecast for tomorrow's Winter Classic at rustic Fenway Park.
Despite the best efforts by the power brokers at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. to woo such an event to the home of Toronto FC, the NHL is concerned with, among other things, the limited 20,000-seat capacity of the venue, even if it were to be expanded by several thousand.
"To be honest, the bigger the better. It's all about the spectacle," one high-ranking league source said.
Fenway Park and Wrigley Field, which hosted last year's Winter Classic, can house 35,000-plus. At the same time, both are two of the most historic stages in the sporting world, thereby meeting the league's desire for a "spectacle."
Playing in a park where Carlton Fisk and Bucky Dent smacked legendary home runs provides a bit more sizzle than a metal soccer stadium where Danny Dichio bulged the net a handful of times.
But that certainly doesn't mean Toronto is out of the mix to land a Winter Classic.
Behind closed doors, the league is intrigued with the prospect of bringing such an event to the Rogers Centre one day. And understandably so.
First off, a gate of 50,000-plus would have NHL officials drooling at the revenues. As an added bonus, if there was the threat of Mother Nature raining on the league's Winter Classic parade as there is here in Boston tomorrow, one push of a button and the roof could closed.
There is no such option at Fenway.
To be fair, the forecast has improved from earlier in the week when weather experts were calling for the type of significant showers that would transform the finely-manicured sheet of ice inside Fenway into a soggy mess. Now the prognosticators are predicting drizzle, with a mix of snow possible.
That would be the perfect storm for goal-thirsty forwards from the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers, this year's Winter Classic participants.
Forget about screening the opposing goalie. Just fire some slush between the bars of his mask so he can't see.
"If we think there's a good chance we can get this game in we're going to do everything in our power to do that," said Dan Craig, the NHL's so-called ice guru who is in charge of the temporary rink.
"If they're calling for a foot-and-a-half of snow it's a little bit different."
According to NHL chief operating officer John Collins, bids for subsequent Winter Classics will go out starting tomorrow, with replies coming after the Olympic break. The league expects an onslaught of requests, which is understandable.
The Winter Classic has become a landmark event for the NHL, with fans and corporate sponsors alike scrambling to get a piece of the pie.
Collins said the Chicago Blackhawks sold 5,000 additional season tickets because of the success of the Winter Classic at Wrigley a year ago.
In addition, a Turnkey Sports Poll released this week asked various sports execs which event they are looking forward to as a fan next year. The Winter Classic finished fifth at 7%, ahead of The Masters, World Series and the NBA final.
"Overall, our corporate advertising has gone up 66% in each of the past three seasons," Collins said, adding that the Winter Classic is one of the driving forces for that success.
Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke has been quite forward with his intentions of bringing such an event to Toronto.
It may happen. As the source said: "Why wouldn't we want to put it in a hockey-crazed market like that?"
It just might not take place at BMO as the Leafs had hoped.
MIKE.ZEISBERGER@SUNMEDIA.CA