Outdoor Ice Hockey!

Oakster

Now I'm not much of a hockey fan & In nearly 2 & 1/2 years here I have not watched a complete game from start to finish. However yesterdays open air game in Pittsburgh Buffalo was a fantastic spectacle. 70.000+ fans watched the game in snowy conditions. I think this has only happened (outdoors) a couple of times before.

Some great pictures.

Classic Winter Fare

Leroy Ambrose

Awesome game. Last time was in Edmonton (minus 20!) about five years ago if I remember right. That atmosphere was unbelievable - if they could do a couple a year it would be fantastic. Of course they might have a bit of trouble staging one in some of the new NHL markest like Florida and Anaheim... not much chance of 0 degrees Celsius down there!

Being a Pens fan, it was doubly enjoyable for me - though as I'm such a scrooge that i refuse to subscribe to NASN I had to watch it on a dodgy internet feed via sopcast! And fantastic to see Crosby put on such a great show - most talented player to enter the league since Mario Lemieux (another Pittsburgh legend)

And Oakster - you have a god given right to enjoy the second best sport on earth without puzzled glances from all your mates/coworkers. Learn to love the game - after football nothing compares to it.

Oakster

Leroy - I will watch it if it's on, but not having strong allegiances to any teams (even my local Calgary Flames) it's more of a passing interest. I agree that as a game, it is probably closer to football than anything else & it is infinitely more interesting than gridiron which i have a strong aversion to, baseball & yawn of all yawns basketball!!

NFL at it's finest!

vancouveraddick

I haven't been here long but I am hooked a massive Canucks fan. The problem I have with the game is the supporters - Unless you're at a montreal game you may as well be going to the cinema the amount of atmosphere you get.

Oh and Leroy personally I think Ovechkin (sp) is a better player than Crosby (at the moment) and I worry that good old sidney wil turn into a Beckham type rather than a Pele (Wayne Gretzky) type of a player.

fatkit

I love the first picture, reminds me of Ricky in trailer park boys

he has the hood clearing stick

Leroy Ambrose

[cite]Posted By: vancouveraddick[/cite]I haven't been here long but I am hooked a massive Canucks fan. The problem I have with the game is the supporters - Unless you're at a montreal game you may as well be going to the cinema the amount of atmosphere you get.

Oh and Leroy personally I think Ovechkin (sp) is a better player than Crosby (at the moment) and I worry that good old sidney wil turn into a Beckham type rather than a Pele (Wayne Gretzky) type of a player.

Interesting point. personally I think Sid is the business - and being a Pens fan since waaaay before they were any good (started following them in about 1985, right about the time Mario was drafted) I'm pleased that he at least has the nucleus of a good team with him. I think Ovechkin IS a great player - but he's a typical European forward - flashy, skilful, but doesn't have the grit to grind it out over a long career. he reminds me a lot of Alex Mogilny actually - potential to have three or four dynamite years then fade away with injuries as he starts getting punished for skating with his head down. Now Malkin, on the other hand - boy, what a player. To my mind he has even more potential than Ovechkin or possible even Sid. He has absolutely everything needed to be a superstar for years - including not being averse to a little bit of filth when needed. Still think the Pens need a lot more depth to challenge, but if they can just get a sniper over the summer through free agency - someone like Radulov or Gaborik (I know they're not up for free agency and would kill the Pens cap-wise even if they were - but someone of that ilk would be ideal) and another tough defenseman, maybe with a gritty third line centre thrown in they will be absolutely awesome next year.

I've just started a new job and our parent company is American - based out of Bethesda in Maryland. That's only about a one hour flight from Pittsburgh, so if I get over there during the season I'll get to see them at Mellon. You want atmosphere you should try to get to a pens game in Pittsburgh. I saw them destroy the Flyers in the early nineties - the first cup season - and it was so loud I was deaf for days after!

The Canucks are a good team this year - I've caught a few of their games on internet casts. Seems like the Sedin twins are finally looking like the finished article, Nas has always been a wicked player and Morrison is underrated. Your problems are on D - once you get past Ohlund and Bieksa they're a pretty poor bunch. Lots of potential there, but some of them seem to be skating in dreamland - every time I see Edler bring the puck into the neutral zone and make a pass I cringe - if his head was any further down his chin would be on his chest - one day he's going to get absolutely creamed by someone. Even Salo looks crappy - and I always rated him. You'll get in as fifth or sixth seeds behind Colorado, but - barring major trade deadline moves you won't get past round one in the playoffs.

ChicagoAddick

Fantastic - saw some of the highlights. Wasn't it a record crowd for a NHL game?

Can-addick

I believe that it was a record for an NHL game, but interestingly didn't break the record set in 2001 when the University of Michigan and MIchigan State University had over 77,000 people show up to see them play in the football (gridiron!) stadium at MSU.

WelshAddick

Hockey is my fav sport, every 2/3 i go on a hockey tour to north america. ive been to calgary 3 times and the blackhawks are my fav teams. Its the best spectator sport bar none MSG was awesome and i saw ray bourke score his 500th goal right in front of me.

Albertan_Addick

I'm with you on this one oakster, this was a great sporting spectacle and the atmosphere was, well a wee bit like
English footie - not like the frankly contrived stuff you get at indoor games (think Highbury...)

I've heard that it was basically a sales pitch to those in the US who aren't hockey nuts...Whether Sid the kid Crosby is a big enough star for them I don't know.

Oakster

One of sport's great spectacles...i didn't see the 2009 version live yesterday as i was out on the slopes all day, but saw the highlights................

The Winter Classic

Can-addick

It was a great setting, great weather and by all accounts a really good game. I didn't see it all, but probably watched about half, and although the conditions certainly affected the action somewhat, it was the best of the three outdoor games so far...

ct_addick

Used to love hockey when Whalers were in hartford...however don't understand how a league lets a team just up and move. Should be just like football in England and let a team die....(except for MK Dons)...don't really follow NHL anymore but pics looked cool. It must be tough to see the puck from the upper tier seats though