5 ways to revive the outdoor-game phenomenon

The NHL's fascination with outdoor games has gone from experiment, to tradition, to gimmick.

What was once an annual tradition has lost its luster, with the league attempting to maximize profits by increasing the number of games from a single Winter Classic on New Year's Day, to multiple outdoor affairs throughout the season.

The possibilities for compelling new outdoor games dwindle with every passing event, but there are several things the league can do to make them worth watching again.

Here are five ways the NHL can revive interest in the outdoor game:

Less is more

After three years of holding one outdoor game per season (from 2008-10), the NHL held two in 2010-11, then scheduled an astounding six outdoor contests in 2013-14, before scaling back to a pair in 2014-15, and three last season.

Including Sunday's Heritage Classic, four outdoor games will take place in 2016-17. The league can't be blamed for celebrating its centennial with an extra game, but that's still too many.

Let's bring it back to one - or at most, two - per season. One Winter Classic and one Heritage Classic every two or three years would be ideal.

Enough with the same old teams

One of the biggest gripes among fans is that outdoor games always seem to involve the same teams - Original Six or otherwise.

While the NHL has occasionally incorporated newer markets, the criticism is warranted.

The Chicago Blackhawks will play their fifth outdoor game this season, while the Pittsburgh Penguins will appear in their fourth.

Eight of the NHL's 30 teams (or nine of 31, including the expansion Las Vegas franchise) haven't played in one, and that list includes four more-than-watchable teams in the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars, and Florida Panthers.

Those climates wouldn't be ideal, but there have been two outdoor games in California, and the warm-weather contenders could always play in a colder environment.

Keep exploring neutral sites

After the 2016-17 games are played, 18 of the league's 28 metropolitan areas will have hosted an outdoor event. Chicago, New York, Massachusetts, and Pittsburgh will have held it twice.

The NHL needs to get creative, as its reportedly doing by considering a game at West Point, and perhaps South Bend, Indiana.

Going into uncharted territory is clearly the next step, and the best way to inject new life.

One beautiful game deserves another

Neutral sites are one thing, but let's take it a step further and go across the pond.

We've seen these held in NFL stadiums, college facilities, and Major League ballparks, so why not take it to a soccer stadium in England?

Tottenham is building a state-of-the-art, 61,000-seat facility with the NFL in mind, and it's expected to open for the 2018-19 season. Failing that, there are plenty of other options. The Colorado Avalanche are run by the Kroenke family, which also holds a large stake in Arsenal.

Long-term growth of the game and eyeballs gained thanks to curiosity will outweigh the immediate cost.

Put the kids in the international spotlight

The NHL has always struggled to market its stars. That's exactly what it should do with outdoor games, because they're a perfect advertising vehicle on U.S. national TV.

Edmonton Oilers sensation Connor McDavid battled Winnipeg Jets phenom Patrik Laine on Sunday, but south of the border, the Heritage Classic was only shown on NHL Network.

Canadian teams don't usually move the needle below the 49th parallel, so the league should match them up with a major U.S. market and showcase the best young talent to a larger audience.

For example, the Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews will play in the Centennial Classic against a Red Wings squad featuring fellow American youngster Dylan Larkin.

NBC justifiably wants more of Matthews, and should put him in as many of these as possible. And it should work on showcasing the rest of the next generation of stars, as well.