NHL poised for 'shock-and-awe'

The National Hockey League opened 2014 with itsbiggest bash ever on Wednesday, firing the first salvo in a campaign designed to turn casual fans into avid ones.

An announced record hockey crowd of 105,491 braved brutal conditions to fill massive Michigan Stadium for the NHL's outdoor Winter Classic as the Toronto Maple Leafs clinched a 3-2 shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings.

Over the next three months the NHL will play outdoor games from Los Angeles to New York, Vancouver and Chicago, featuring iconic franchises in historic settings in an unprecedented push to claim more ground in the battle for a larger slice of the North American sporting landscape.