OPINION

By Craig Custance

updated 4:46 p.m. ET Dec. 31, 2008

The Winter Olympics in 2010 might complicate the immediate future of hockey's outdoor Winter Classic, but its popularity so far all but ensures it will become a hockey tradition.

It also helps there were plenty of cities and venues courting commissioner Gary Bettman before he picked Wrigley Field and Chicago as the host of the 2009 game next week.

"We had no shortage of expressions of interest," Bettman recently told SportingNews.com. "Wrigley was one of many."

Since it's never too early to dream, here are our top five venues for the next Winter Classic:

1. Yankee Stadium
Before the announcement was made about Wrigley this year, there was speculation the 2009 Winter Classic would be the last sporting event at Yankee Stadium. Logistically it didn't work out. "Yankee Stadium never got to the finish line," Bettman said. But the new Yankee Stadium would be the perfect host, and there are plenty of people in hockey who think it's the favorite.

The perfect matchup: New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins

2. Beaver Stadium, State College Pennsylvania
Forget baseball, let's bring the Winter Classic to college football by letting Penn State host the next one. Heck, JoePa can even drop the ceremonial first puck. We wouldn't worry at all about filling the 100,000-seat stadium if it meant a rivalry game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins. Surely the league would be OK with Sidney Crosby playing in another one of these games.

The perfect matchup: Florida Panthers vs. Nashville Predators. Just kidding. Bring on the Battle of Pennsylvania.

3. Fenway Park
Part of the attraction of the game at Wrigley is playing at a stadium with so much history. A Winter Classic in Fenway Park would rival Wrigley. The game could also cap a revival of hockey in Boston similar to what we've seen in Chicago. As fun as watching Wrigley from the rooftops had to be, can you imagine taking in a hockey game from on top of the Green Monster?

The perfect matchup: Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens

4. TCF Bank Stadium, Minnesota

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The home of the Golden Gophers opens in 2009 and with a capacity of 50,000 would provide a cozier setting for hockey compared to some of the bigger football stadiums. Plus, the school has already indicated that they are very interested in hosting an outdoor NHL game. Bringing the game to Minnesota would give the state a chance to have a big event anchor its annual Hockey Day in Minnesota.

The perfect matchup: Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche

5. FedEx Field, Washington D.C.
If the league could work out potential schedule conflicts with the Redskins, which was one of the reasons why this year's game wasn't at Soldier Field, getting Alex Ovechkin in the Winter Classic would be a nice boost for ratings. Having him play Crosby would be even better. If the Redskins object, then hold the game at RFK. Unpredictable weather in Washington D.C. might make this a tough sell.

The perfect matchup: Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

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