Capitals News: Sun could delay start of Thursday's NHL Winter Classic

An expected bout of unseasonably gorgeous weather in the D.C area on New Year's Day could end up delaying the NHL Winter Classic between the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks by a couple of hours.

"Nobody wants to delay the game," NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said, via ESPN.com. "So if there's any way we can avoid delaying the game, we're going to avoid delaying the game."

Faceoff is currently scheduled for 1 p.m. at Nationals Park, with the current forecast calling for tons of sun with very little cloud cover. Thus it's the threat of glare on the ice, and not the high temperature in the low 40s, that's a cause for concern heading into the Capitals/Blackhawks showdown.

"It would be more of a player-safety issue," Daly said. "The glare, if you're having trouble picking up the puck, I think there'd be a concern."

Stay tuned to Chat Sports for continued updates as additional information on a potential delay is made available.

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