ST. LOUIS, MO – Since 2008, the NHL’s Winter Classic has captivated audiences, even going beyond the passionate hockey fan base that will watch the fastest game on ice under any circumstance. Since that first game in Buffalo under snow globe conditions, the prospect of hosting an outdoor game has become what each NHL club wants for their own city.
Photo by: Brianna O’Hara
Of the other high-profile events the NHL has to offer, the All-Star Game, Entry Draft and the other outdoor games are sure to please any city and fan base, but the Winter Classic has a certain magic about it and it did not disappoint in St. Louis today.
Photo by: Brianna O’Hara
And that it comes after the football Rams leaving St. Louis for Los Angeles because support for their team was dwindling. A look across the stadium today would be enough to show Kroenke and his gridiron cronies just how foolish they were in moving to the left coast.
Photo by: Brianna O’Hara
The stadium area was filled with fans for three days, this with nothing, but practice held on Sunday, the day between the Alumni Game and the regular season game. The fan interactive area was filled with sponsors and things for visitors to enjoy, Ballpark Village, the adjacent entertainment complex behind left field was jumping every day. And then finally, game day arrived.
Photo by: Brianna O’Hara
Faced with the prospect of threatening weather after two days of spectacularly ideal conditions, ticketholders were not dissuaded by the forecast or even slightly disappointed of rain dampening their day. They dressed the part, with jerseys, toques, rain boots, hand and toe warmers, gloves and everything to ensure they would enjoy the experience. Their biggest concern was if the game was going to be played at all.
Photo by: Brianna O’Hara
With rain in the forecast during the morning and more intense threats set for the evening, the NHL announced Sunday afternoon that an update on the game’s start time would be made Sunday morning at 7:00 AM local time. When that announcement time was made, there was news to report. The game would still start at noon, the scheduled start time.
Photo by: Brianna O’Hara
With heavy fog and a light mist descending on the gateway city, fans made their way downtown to Busch Stadium. As they arrived, the likely wondered what happened to the Arch as you could not see the wonderful backdrop Cardinals’ fans have long enjoyed. Fans came prepared for wet, but none of them would let it douse their day at the Winter Classic. They would get help from others to be sure the game would take place with as little a hitch as possible.
Photo by: Brianna O’Hara
At 9:00 AM, rink personnel began testing the ice, sliding frozen discs across the puddling surface, the result of accumulating water. Soon the squeegee patrol was flying up and down the ice, clearing the excess. The pre-game entertainment pounded out music from center field under a collection of pop-up tents. Vendors kept their wares dry while exchanging money under furious conditions. Food and drink lines were long and concourses were packed full of hockey fans.
Photo by: Brianna O’Hara
The pre-skate for both teams started a bit late, leading onlookers to believe there would be an extended delay. Rain intensified, but with the best window of opportunity to play near the scheduled start, preparations moved forward.
Photo by: Brianna O’Hara
By 12:20, player introductions and the national anthem took place. Pyrotechnics post-anthem created a condition where residual smoke hung above the field creating visibility problems in the humid atmosphere. At 12:32, the puck was dropped and play was underway.
The game started out slow, despite an early Chicago goal from Michal Kempny which seemed to take a funny bounce before glancing off Blues’ goaltender Jake Allen’s catch glove and into the goal. What would normally be a substantive Chicago crowd, a smattering of cheers within the stadium could be heard. Chicago continued to press while St. Louis proceeded with adjusting to the conditions.
Nearly midway through the middle frame, Patrik Berglund netted the tying goal, bringing life to the home crowd. Meanwhile, the damp weather stayed away, at least for a while.
Photo by: Brianna O’Hara
In the final period, St. Louis star sniper Vladimir Tarasenko attempted a backhand pass across the slot which glanced Chicago defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson and into the net giving the Blues the lead.
Less than two minutes later, Vladimir earned his goal when Robbi Fabbri took possession of a loose puck at neutral ice on the right side. He passed it to his left where Lehtera continued the passing play to Tarasenko on the left side. His patented snap shot beat Crawford under the glove for a 3-1 victory. Alexander Steen potted an empty netter to finish off the scoring and a 401 St. Louis Blues victory.
At one minute before 3 o’clock, the home team had secured a 4-1 victory
Photo by: Brianna O’Hara
A city long-viewed as a baseball town continued to impress the hockey and sports world, first after drawing 40,000+ fans for an Alumni Game and then drawing 46,556 fans for the game that counted in the standings. NHL officials were impressed by the turnout; locals just called it a regular day cheering their team.
The Winter Classic continues to get better and better and the NHL continues to demonstrate their ability to put on a world-class show, even in the face of a crowded holiday sports landscape.
Follow me at DMMORRELL and you can contact me at dennis.morrell@prohockeynews.com
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