Outdoor NHL Game

[True_Snake]

Hey folks :tu: ! Hope you're having an awesome day!

Just wondering if anyone else is watching the outdoor NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins right now? There are 73,000+ fans in the Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo .

It's on NBC in the U.S. and CBC in Canada .

Take care!
True_Snake

 

[allabout42]

Hey folks :tu: ! Hope you're having an awesome day!

Just wondering if anyone else is watching the outdoor NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins right now? There are 73,000+ fans in the Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo .

It's on NBC in the U.S. and CBC in Canada .

Take care!
True_Snake

I managed to watch the second half of the first period, until my family forced me out. That's pretty remarkable that 73,000+ people were there. Did they give the tickets out for free or something?

BTW, are you a leafs fan? How are Toskala and Bell working for you guys? Seems like the team allows too many shots on goal...

 

[RogueWriter]

That would have been so much fun to attend! Great idea!

 

[True_Snake]

I managed to watch the second half of the first period, until my family forced me out. That's pretty remarkable that 73,000+ people were there. Did they give the tickets out for free or something?

BTW, are you a leafs fan? How are Toskala and Bell working for you guys? Seems like the team allows too many shots on goal...

No, not at all. They put the tickets up for sale and they were gone in minutes ... all 73,000 of them :tu: . I know that a lot of people headed down from southern Ontario to Buffalo, but I still think the majority were local Americans (from surrounding states).

And yes, I'm a die-hard Leafs fan . It's frustrating, but I am :p . Toskala didn't start out TOO well, but he was excellent for much of the past month or so. Then he got a groin strain and has been out for a couple of games (he'll likely be back by the weekend). His backup, Andrew Raycroft, totally STUNK in his 3 starts, and then the backup on the Leafs AHL team started last night and won :D!

As for Mark Bell, he missed the first 15 games as part of his suspension for his DUI charge in San Jose. Honestly, he has some good shifts where he hits and stuff, but he has been quite invisible, really. I think he has 2 goals in 25 games or something. But he was great in Chicago, and I think he has the potential to be a 20-25 goal scorer on a consistent basis. But the Leafs as a team have been defensively atrocious for most of the season :bah: .

But that outdoor game was quite a spectacle, :imho:.


True_Snake

 

[Bill]

:kickass:

Now that was a hockey game! What a great turnout, I wonder if we can see more of these games in the future? Hockey was meant to be played outdoors, not indoors.

-Bill

 

[True_Snake]

:lol:

I don't know if the players would agree with you about that, Bill . I hear they had quite some trouble controlling the puck with all that snow buildup.

I really hope they can do this more often. Maybe not every year, but every two years.

I'd like to see:
-Rangers vs. Devils (maybe at Giants stadium?)
-Leafs vs. Habs
-And maybe some Original Six match ups like Toronto vs. Detroit, Montreal vs. Boston, and Rangers vs. Chicago :tu:.

They've done this outdoor thing twice now, and it's been GREAT both times .


True_Snake

 

[Bill]

-Rangers vs. Devils (maybe at Giants stadium?)

:lala:

Giants Stadium is alright, I rather see them set it up elsewhere. But then again, we really don't have any other venues to suit an outdoor hockey game here in Jersey.

The Devils just moved into their new stadium 'The Prudential Center' this past fall. Too bad it's indoors.

-Bill

 

[whitebark]

Sucks my city is always too warm to have an outdoor game - Vancouver. I'm a penguins fan anyways! If it were not for family inviting themselves over this holiday season I would have been there watching my pens win!

Travel to many parts of Canada and the only rinks available are outside. That's where I learned to play hockey as a kid - outdoors in northern Manitoba with minus 30 weather - now that's hockey!

 

[True_Snake]

-Rangers vs. Devils (maybe at Giants stadium?)

:lala:

Giants Stadium is alright, I rather see them set it up elsewhere. But then again, we really don't have any other venues to suit an outdoor hockey game here in Jersey.

I suggested it only because that's the largest outdoor facility that I know in the NY area. Are there any others?

And Prudential Center is a spanking new arena! They have cup holders for every seat !

Sucks my city is always too warm to have an outdoor game - Vancouver. I'm a penguins fan anyways! If it were not for family inviting themselves over this holiday season I would have been there watching my pens win!

Travel to many parts of Canada and the only rinks available are outside. That's where I learned to play hockey as a kid - outdoors in northern Manitoba with minus 30 weather - now that's hockey!

Yeah, I think they might have temperature issues in Toronto too. It's really unpredictable over here (it's FREEZING cold right now, -20C probably and it'll be +13 next Tuesday :bah: ).

And I agree, true hockey is outdoors !


True_Snake

 

[mav]

I was there it was a great experience. I'll remember it forever. It was so awesome. Tailgating, and then going in and when the players came out omg, it was so loud.

Too bad we(Buffalo) didn't win.

 

[True_Snake]

Wow, sounds awesome Matt :tu: ! You're lucky you got tickets !


True_Snake

 

[DomainLobe]

I went to the Heritage Classic on November 22, 2003 in Edmonton - the first Outdoor NHL game. Edmonton vs Montreal
-28

 

[killaklown]

The players and coaches said that they loved the outdoor game. I say they should have more of them, i mean 70k people paid for tickets and i read somewhere that 80k more people wanted them.

 

[True_Snake]

I agree Justin. Maybe every 2 years so that they don't kill the "novelty" of it, but it's a great marketing idea. And if they can get like, Ovechkin or someone in there, that's a marketing gem!

True_Snake

 

[allabout42]

I agree Justin. Maybe every 2 years so that they don't kill the "novelty" of it, but it's a great marketing idea. And if they can get like, Ovechkin or someone in there, that's a marketing gem!

True_Snake

Yeah, I would love to see the capitals vs penguins played outside.

 

[Bill]

What about having the all star game outdoors every year? I think it would bring more people to hockey. Plus it would only be yearly.

-Bill

 

[Dougy]

That was a great game and a pleasure to watch. Kudos to them, that was some rough weather for a game.

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