Owner Ted Leonsis announced Caps to host 2015 Winter Classic

Ted Leonsis, the Washington Capitals majority owner, made the announce at 10:00 am on Saturday morning at the 2013 Capitals Convention that the Washington Capitals will host the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on January 1st.

Location of the game and the Capitals' opponent will be announced at the a later date.

It will be the second time the Capitals will be playing in the Winter Classic, which Forbes magazine called the best sporting event of the last decade. Washington beat the Pittsburgh Penguins with a score of 3-1 on January 1st, 2011 in front of over 68,000 attendees at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. Mike Knuble scored the first goal and then Eric Fehr scored two other goals, including the game-winner.

The 2011 NHL Winter Classic broke records by being the most-watched NHL regular season game since 1975 by having 4.5 million viewers. It was also the most watched NHL game in the United States since 1996.

A Spectator Plaza will be held along with the 2015 Winter Classic, which is a free outdoor festival with hockey attractions and music for all ages.

More information about tickets and official game uniforms will be announced in the next few months.