ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The NHL’s outdoor expeditions have been threatened by rain and delayed by sun. Concerns about cold are commonplace and, on a balmy night at Dodger Stadium at least, there’s even been the odd question about heat.
Never before has wind entered the equation — at least not to the degree Mother Nature let loose on the eve of Saturday’s Toronto-Washington Stadium Series game.
“Hold on to your hats!” exclaimed Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock, and he wasn’t kidding.
Everything not strapped down at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium was in serious danger of blowing away in gusts that reached up to 80 kilometres per hour.
That included part of a temporary TV studio that stood no chance against the elements. Workers wisely removed the glass from around the boards where the teams are scheduled to play at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday night.
While it was anything but hockey weather, it didn’t dampen the spirits of the players.
“Yeah, I was just telling [Jake Gardiner], I was actually making fun of his shot saying that if he threw one to the net with this kind of wind it might just stop in mid-air and just fall down,” said Leafs centre Nazem Kadri, with a chuckle. “It’s going to be certainly a challenge, but we’re ready for anything.”
[relatedlinks]
That’s basically the only way to approach a situation beyond your control. This will be the 25th time the NHL has taken a regular-season game outdoors, and each has faced its own unique circumstances.
When they held the 2015 Winter Classic up the road at Nationals Park, the January sun was so warm that players wore shorts while kicking soccer balls around on the field beforehand.
The schedule maker probably would have bet that March 3 was likely to produce similarly favourable conditions here and then a Nor’easter slammed the entire East Coast, bringing heavy winds, rain and snow while grounding numerous flights.
On Friday, the Weather Network carried a high-wind warning for Annapolis that read: “Widespread power outages are occurring. Travel is dangerous, especially for high profile vehicles, and motorists need to be aware of rapidly changing road conditions due to the potential of downed trees and power lines. Pedestrians will face very hazardous conditions, and need to be aware of wind-borne projectiles.”
Right, so about that hockey game…
The NHL wouldn’t allow anyone to set foot in the bowl of the 34,000-seat stadium on Friday afternoon out of concerns for debris. That forced both teams to move scheduled practices indoors and likely means they’ll become the first to play an NHL outdoor game with only a quick 15-minute warmup on the temporary surface immediately before puck drop.
Fortunately, the forecast was calling for the high winds to die down by around 6 a.m. on Saturday. The NHL’s hockey operations department was planning to meet between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., and will make a determination on the playing conditions in conjunction with team officials and the NHLPA.
There’s a contingency in place to move the game to 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, if necessary.
That would be a first. The Capitals-Penguins Winter Classic game in 2011 was shifted from an afternoon start to one at night, and a number of others have been delayed by sun, but never has an outdoor game been pushed back a day.
[snippet id=3638225]
Capitals coach Barry Trotz joked that he felt better about the odds of getting it in when his house was still standing Friday morning after a wind-swept night.
“Maybe we’ll have to flip a coin for the end zone like football,” said Trotz. “It’s part of it. You better not be too tired on the backcheck against the wind because you’ll never get back. We’ll see how it is. The league will decide and if we’re going to play for how windy it is.”
The players didn’t really know what to expect.
Newly acquired Leafs centre Tomas Plekanec has played in three prior outdoor games and only had to break out a bulkier turtleneck to contend with the cold: “It was like minus-15, minus-20 [Celsius], which was pretty hard.”
Frederik Andersen’s only other experience came at the Centennial Classic on New Year’s Day 2017. That was a picturesque afternoon for Jan. 1 in Toronto.
“We never really skated on the ponds back home,” said the Danish goalie. “I’m sure it’s more for the kids from Canada.”
The idea of accounting for wind was largely a foreign concept even with rosters full of outdoor game veterans. Expect the teams to switch ends midway through the third period to nullify any potential advantage pertaining to the conditions.
Despite the uncertainty, everyone seemed to be taking things in stride. And at least one man had resorted to deploying the power of positive thought.
“Tomorrow we’re going to get up, there’s going to be no wind and we’re going to have a good game tomorrow night,” said Babcock. “That’s just the way it’s going to be.”
Fingers crossed.
