On Friday the 8th NHL Winter Classic will take place, this time at Gillette Stadium. It will be the first one inside The Razor, but second for wider Boston area.

It might not be the longest tradition ever, but it’s ongoing since 2008 and shows no signs of stopping. The NHL Winter Classic is a special game held every year on New Year’s Day in an open air stadium.

This Friday it will be between Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens and the rules suggest it should be played close to the home of the host team. That’s why Gillette Stadium was selected, seeing the stadium’s debut in this hockey special. It’s not the first time Bruins are the home side, only previously they played at Fenway Park in Boston (2010).

Gillette Stadium can hold over 68,000 people, which is of course impressive for a game of hockey. However, even a sell-out won’t establish a record after in 2014 the Winter Classic was held at America’s largest stadium, The Big House. It was watched by 105,491 then, the largest crowd for any hockey event in history.

While the game is still two days away, Gillette Stadium seems ready to hold it. As you can see in the below photos, ice rink is already frosted and maintained every day to be ready for January 1!