NEW YORK — The Winter Classic has matched the highest television rating for a regular-season NHL game in 39 years.
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ 3-2 shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings on NBC on Wednesday earned a 2.5 rating. The network said Friday that tied the 2009 New Year’s Day game between Detroit and the Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field.
The rating was up 19 per cent from the last Winter Classic in 2012 between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers.
Ratings represent the percentage of homes with televisions tuned into a program.
