A Winter Classic delayed for a couple of hours on account of, well, gorgeous weather?

That was the option discussed Wednesday as the NHL faced the prospect of playing its outdoor game on a bright, sunny New Year's Day in the nation's capital.

"Nobody wants to delay the game," NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said. "So if there's any way we can avoid delaying the game, we're going to avoid delaying the game."

Faceoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Nationals Park for the game between the Blackhawks and Capitals. The forecast calls for lots of sun and few clouds, and therefore lots of glare on the sheet of ice, with a high temperature in the low 40s.