I know it is still awfully hot outside
still, so with this week’s post I want to try and make you cold. So grab your
sweatshirt, sweat pants and mittens and get ready to get cold!
The National Hockey League has recently
announced that they are going to take the game of hockey back to its origins
through the use of stadiums across the country to host outdoor regular season
games. Why talk about this? The International Skating Center of Connecticut has
been involved in the past few years with Whalers Sports and Entertainment, “Whale
Bowl” an outdoor ice rink in Bushnell Park in Hartford, Connecticut. Though the “Whale Bowl” is not the National
Hockey League it is fairly similar so we thought we would share some details
because many of the area N.H.L. teams are set to play outdoors this coming
season.
This year the N.H.L. will kick off the
outdoor hockey season with its main event, the Winter Classic. This will be
held on New Year’s Day, 2014 when the Detroit Red Wings will take on the
Toronto Maple Leafs at the “Big House,” Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor Michigan.
After a few week lapse in outdoor hockey the N.H.L. will be set to start their
newest event, the Coors Light Stadium Series.
What better way for the N.H.L. to make a
bang than to bring outdoor hockey to California. Yes, you read that correctly!
The Anaheim Ducks will take on the Los Angeles Kings at prestigious Dodgers
Stadium on January 25th, 2014.
Second, and just one day later, the
popular brand new, Yankee Stadium in New York, New York will host an outdoor
game. Arch rivals will battle it out at center field of one of the most famous
franchises in all of sports. The New Jersey Devils will play the New York
Rangers on January 26th, 2014.
Three days after the Devils and Rangers
battle at Yankee Stadium, the New York Islanders will have a crack at the New
York Rangers. Again, arch rivals square off in the house that Babe Ruth played
at. This game will be held on January 29th, 2014.
The Coors Light Stadium Series will wrap
up on March 1st, 2014 when the Pittsburgh Penguins play the Stanley
Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks. These two teams feature some of the N.H.L.’s best
offensive talent in a single game, and best of all outside! The game will be
held at Soldier Field in Chicago.
One more game? Sure, why not! The N.H.L.
will hold one last outdoor game that will feature a all Canadian match up,
which is known as the N.H.L. Heritage Classic. The 2014 Heritage Classic will
be held on March 2nd, 2014 when the Vancouver Canucks play host to
the capital cities, Ottawa Senators. This game will be held at B.C. Place just
outside of the city of Vancouver, in Canada.
With the N.H.L. going “all-out” outside,
it is still yet to be determined if the city of Hartford will put forth the
funding to once again host a “Whale Bowl.” The outdoor ice rink at Bushnell
Park will happen regardless and sponsored by the International Skating Center
of Connecticut and our sister rinks, the Bolton Ice Palace and Champions
Skating Center in Cromwell, Connecticut. With thousands of people showing up to
these events yearly it sure would be another spectacle for a casual to hardcore
hockey fan or even a recreational skater to see. So who is with us? Who wants
to see outdoor hockey return to the Hartford Area and see the Hartford Wolf Pack
again play outdoors?
Sources:
No comments:
Post a Comment