Winter Classic Under The Lights

-The NHL has announced that the 2011 Winter Classic will now start at 8 PM ET instead of 1 PM. Rain is in the forecast for most of the day.If you are going to the game, there are new times for the stadium. Look below:

Gates to Heinz Field will now open at 5:30 p.m. (ET)
Pre-game entertainment now begins at 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Heinz Field Parking Lots will now open at 2:30 p.m. (ET)
Spectator Plaza will now open at 3 p.m. (ET)

Three Years Makes Quite A Difference in Penguins Roster for 2011 Winter Classic

 On January 1, 2011, it will be exactly three years from the first ever Winter Classic in 2008 where the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in a shootout. It seems like yesterday when Sidney Crosby scored that famous game winning goal in the shootout. Three years may not seem like a long time, but the Penguins roster has changed dramatically since then. Only 8 of the 23 players remain on the Penguins currently. That includes players that were injured in 2008 as well as right now. Let's take a look at the 2008 Winter Classic roster:
D Rob Scuderi







D Darryl Sydor







C Jordan Staal







LW Ryan Malone






C Erik Christensen






RW Petr Sykora






LW Adam Hall






D Ryan Whitney






RW Colby Armstrong






RW Georges Laraque






G Dany Sabourin






G Ty Conklin






LW Jarkko Ruutu






C Jeff Taffe






D Brooks Orpik






RW Tyler Kennedy






D Sergei Gonchar






D Kris Letang






LW Evgeni Malkin






C Sidney Crosby





 G Marc-Andre Fleury (Injured)





C Max Talbot (Injured)





D Mark Eaton (Injured)

2011 Tentative Roster:

G Brent Johnson

D Alex Goligoski

D Zbynek Michalek

D Deryk Engelland

D Ben Lovejoy

D Paul Martin

RW Pascal Dupuis

C Mark Letestu

LW Chris Kunitz






C Mike Rupp






RW Chris Conner






LW Matt Cooke






C Max Talbot






RW Craig Adams






RW Eric Godard






G Marc-Andre Fleury






D Brooks Orpik






RW Arron Asham






LW Tyler Kennedy






D Kris Letang






C Evgeni Malkin






C Sidney Crosby






C Jordan Staal (Injured)

C Mike Comrie (Injured)

 The eight players that were on that 2008 roster were Sidney Crosby, Jordan Staal, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik, Max Talbot, and Tyler Kennedy. At least seven of them will likely play in the 2011 Winter Classic. Staal is battling a hand injury and could miss the game, but he has not ruled it out just yet.

Where Are They Now? A Look at the 2008 former Penguins who participated in the Winter Classic:

Rob Scuderi: Signed a four year deal with the Los Angeles Kings in 2009.

Darryl Sydor: Retired

Ryan Malone: In the summer of 2008, he signed a seven year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Erik Christensen: Playing for the New York Rangers after they claimed him on waivers.

Petr Sykora: Playing for the Dynamo Minsk in the KHL.

Adam Hall: Currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Ryan Whitney: Currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers after he was traded there from Anaheim.

Colby Armstrong: Signed a three year deal this summer with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Georges Laraque: Retired

Dany Sabourin: Currently playing for the Hershey Bears in the AHL.

Ty Conklin: Currently playing for the St. Louis Blues.

Jarkko Ruutu: Currently playing for the Ottawa Senators.

Jeff Taffe: Currently playing for the Rockford Icehogs in the AHL.

Sergei Gonchar: Left the Penguins this summer to sign a three year contract with the Ottawa Senators.

Mark Eaton: Left the Penguins this summer to sign a two year contract with the New York Islanders.