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HBO tabs Capitals/Penguins Classic for ‘Hard Knocks’-like series
By Greg Wyshynski

Hockey fans have been begging for HBO to give the NHL the "Hard Knocks" treatment, as that series has transformed the mundane NFL exhibition season into riveting reality television. According to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, those prayers have been answered -- and puckheads have Sidney Crosby(notes) and Alex Ovechkin(notes) to thank.

Seth Rorabaugh broke the news Thursday morning that HBO will film a documentary mini-series leading up to, and during, the 2011 Winter Classic between the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins at Heinz Field on Jan. 1. From the Post-Gazette:

Much like "Hard Knocks," this NHL series will have players wearing microphones on and off the ice and would offer an uncensored look at the Penguins and Capitals leading up to the New Year's Day game. A game between the Penguins and Capitals Dec. 23 in Washington is expected to be one of the main focuses.

Rorabaugh said a formal announcement from the NHL could arrive on Thursday; perhaps not coincidentally, Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL COO John Collins have a conference call scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET on Thursday "to discuss a special announcement."

Despite some palpable Sid vs. Ovie fatigue amongst hockey fans, this is exactly why you book the Capitals and Penguins in the Classic: To create a pop culture phenomenon.

The Wrigley-to-Fenway Winter Classic transition was a lateral move; this is a blockbuster, to the point where HBO finds it compelling enough to build sports programming around it. The hype will be astronomical for this game; and with the Winter Classic as the centerpiece for the NHL's next television contract negations, hopefully the ratings will match the hype.

Maybe that "Broad Street Bullies" documentary opened HBO's eyes to hockey's potential on pay TV. Hopefully when Rorabaugh writes the series will be "uncensored" it means this series will offer the warts-and-all access that "Hard Knocks" has perfected in covering teams like the New York Jets. The intensity of this rivalry, and the personalities on both sides of it, demand that presentation. The NHL on HBO has been a long-standing dream for us; unfiltered audio from a Caps/Penguins game could be the greatest thing to happen to puckheads since replica jerseys.

(Ken Fang makes a good point, however, on the "Hard Knocks" hysteria front: The show will likely fall under the HBO "24/7" banner, although that's also an unfiltered sports-doc format. It's still just cooler to say "NHL Hard Knocks," right?)

What are you most looking forward to in an uncensored HBO program featuring the Penguins and Capitals? For us, it's a mic'd up, uncensored Matt Cooke(notes) and seeing if Bruce Boudreau can become the next Rex Ryan.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami