Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin will lead their respective teams when the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Washington Capitals at Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, in the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® on New Year's Day.

The 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® will be the fourth NHL regular-season game played outdoors in the United States, and the fifth in NHL history. The Buffalo Sabres hosted the Penguins at Ralph Wilson Stadium on New Year's Day 2008, the Chicago Blackhawks hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field on New Year's Day 2009, and the Boston Bruins hosted the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park on New Year's Day 2010. In Canada, the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Montreal Canadiens at Commonwealth Stadium on November 22, 2003.

The Penguins, the 2009 Stanley Cup® champions, boast other top talents in Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury and Jordan Staal. The Capitals, the 2010 Presidents' Trophy winners, counter with young stars Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green and Alex Semin.

NBC will provide live broadcast coverage of the game in the U.S. In Canada, CBC and RDS will televise the event live. NHL Radio™ and Sirius XM Radio will provide radio coverage and NHL.com will have extensive digital coverage.

More details on the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, including ticket sales information, will be announced soon.