The 2012 Winter Classic between the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers at Citizens Bank Park will now have a start time of 3 p.m. on Jan. 2 instead of the original 1 p.m. start time (via NHL.com).
The decision to push the game's start time back was based on the weather report for the Philadelphia area. The same decision was made for the Alumni Game on Dec. 31 to try to achieve optimal game conditions for the outdoor event.
Weather.com reports that Philadelphia should expect showers early tonight with clearing expected overnight. The chance of rain on Jan. 2 is only 20% but winds are expected to be 19 miles per hour.
The 2012 Winter Classic will be shown at 3 p.m. on NBC.
-- See SB Nation New York's StoryStream for complete Winter Classic coverage. You can visit Blueshirt Banter for the Rangers perspective. For the Flyers perspective, see BroadStreetHockey or SBNation Philly.