Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - A ranar 15 ga Maris, 2017, Arthur Staple na "Newsday" ya ba da rahoton cewa an ba da wasan ga New York Rangers. Rangers da farko sun shirya yin wasa a Blaik Field a filin wasa na Michie a harabar Kwalejin Sojojin Amurka a West Point, New York amma ba su iya cimma yarjejeniya don amfani da wannan kayan aikin a kan lokaci ba. Filin wasa na Yankee, wanda ya karbi bakuncin wasannin Rangers a cikin Wasannin Wasannin Wasannin NHL na 2014, an cire shi daga Classic Winter saboda yana karɓar bakuncin wasan kwallon kafa na kwaleji na Pinstripe mako guda kafin taron. Maimakon haka, an bayar da rahoton cewa Rangers sun cimma yarjejeniya tare da Citi Field, gidan ƙungiyar ƙwallon ƙafa ta New York Mets, don karɓar bakuncin taron. Wannan labarin ya gano Buffalo Sabres a matsayin abokin hamayyar Rangers. Sabres kuma suna cikin tattaunawa don karɓar bakuncin taron, duka saboda ya nuna shekaru goma tun lokacin da aka fara gasar Winter Classic da kuma saboda 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
ya riga ya shirya wasa a waje a New Era Field a ƙarshen Disamba 2017, wanda zai ba da damar amfani da farfajiyar kankara ta waje don wannan da kuma Winter Classic. Mataimakin shugaban League Bill Daly ya yi jayayya cewa samun manyan wasanni biyu na waje a cikin wannan kayan aiki kusa da juna zai shimfiɗa albarkatun Wasanni da Nishaɗi na Pegula sosai, saboda haka dalilin da ya sa aka zaɓi New York City a matsayin wurin da za a shirya. An zaɓi Sabres a matsayin abokan hamayya a cikin nuna godiya daga NBC da NHL don ɗaukar haɗari a farkon Winter Classic a 2008, kuma ƙarancin aikin ƙungiyar da raguwar ƙididdigar talabijin (a lokacin da ƙididdigar Winter Classic ke raguwa) bai shafi NBC ba.