NHL: Great Outdoors
PITTSBURGH – Maxime Talbot laughed at the old-style brown goalie pads Dany Sabourin strapped on for practice, a retro look if there ever was one, and immediately made a bet with his Pittsburgh Penguins teammate.
If Sabourin starts and wins the Winter Classic outdoor game in Buffalo on Tuesday wearing the 1950s-ish looking pads, Talbot declared, he must keep wearing them when the Penguins return indoors.
“It’s going to be cool,” Sabourin said, commenting not on the anticipated 29-degree game-time temperature but rather the back-to-the-future gear the Penguins will wear. “Guys are going to skate with the old-time brown skates, too. Just the whole thing, being outside, it’s something that’s going to be special.”
Especially cold, for one thing. Backup goalie Ty Conklin and forward Georges Laraque played in the NHL’s first and only previous outdoor game, the Heritage Classic game matching Montreal and Edmonton on Nov. 22, 2003, and they’re warning their teammates that dealing with the cold will be the biggest challenge.
The wind chill was about 20 below zero for the outdoor game in Edmonton, and predicted breezes could make it very cold in Buffalo.
Jose Theodore, who opposed Conklin in net during the Heritage Classic, is remembered for winning the game 4-3 for Montreal with a ski cap pulled over his helmet.
“Ty said he wore a deep-sea diver’s suit under his equipment to stay warm because he was standing all the time,” said forward Colby Armstrong, who grew up playing pond hockey in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. “I don’t know if it will get that cold, but it will be weird to see.”
How about playing in snow flurries? Or when the wind is strong enough to alter a shot or a pass? Or if a player can’t handle the stick and gives the puck away because his hands are so cold?
The Penguins have discussed all these challenges in their last few practices, including their game-day skate Saturday before their indoor game against the Sabres, as they prepare for the great unknown of outdoor hockey.
“I remember the last game in Edmonton just seeing how miserable some of the players looked and how cold it was,” said Adam Hall, who played for Michigan State in the outdoor Cold War game against Michigan in 2001.
The Penguins’ equipment staff talked with the Steelers to get tips on what kind of gear the players should wear.
“If we’re going into the wind for two periods, it might be a little different,” Sidney Crosby said. “It’s something you have to think about. … I’m not really sure what to expect.”
Ryan Malone, whose father, Greg, played for the Penguins in the 1970s and 1980s, considered wearing his dad’s old gloves – which are much bigger than today’s – not only as a tribute but also to stay warm.
Of course, the Penguins could have played in one of these games any time they wanted over the years.
Mellon Arena was and is the only NHL arena with a retractable roof, yet the team never was tempted to open it up and play outdoors in January.
“I think one (outdoor game) is good,” Crosby said. “One’s good.”