Heinz Field, the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, will be turned into an outdoor hockey rink. It's for the NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2011. Joe McGrath, President and CEO of visitpittsburgh, expects a positive impact from the game between the Penguins and Washington Capitals. "We're estimating that the economy should have a punch of about $22.7 million from the event itself."
McGrath says in addition to the number of avid hockey fans from around the country who will be attending the game, they are expecting about 30,000 people visiting from the Washington, D.C. area alone. He says many people are making it a weekend getaway.
Apart from the Winter Classic, locals and visitors from other cities can celebrate at the annual First Night Pittsburgh New Year's eve celebration. There will be many hockey-themed activities. McGrath also notes that the "Hockey Hall of Fame" will be on display at the Carnegie Science Center Sportsworks from December 27th to December 31st. Due to all of the activities, McGrath suggests people who want to come to Pittsburgh to check ahead for accommodations. The Winter Classic game is a sell out. McGrath says Heinz Field holds "60,000 plus" and exceeds some of the other stadiums that hosted the game.
No comments:
Post a Comment