Pittsburgh Penguins Love

Ok, I think that this New Year's outdoor game is kind of cool. As a hockey fan, I definitely appreciate the indoor arenas in all their high-tech glory. But this game is like a return to the roots of hockey. There are definitely a LOT of people who will not agree with me, which is evident on many of the NHL team's message boards. I mean, it's obviously a blatant attempt by the NHL to just make a lot of money and make commissioner Gary Bettman feel like he's actually doing something for the fans. Seriously, having ONE outdoor game is not going to attract more fans to the sport. And I know that NHL players are definitely not trained to be playing outdoors - it changes things when you can't exactly control the temperature of the air, the ice, etc. But it takes you back to what hockey is all about: fun. Some might say that sitting in the cold on a freezing bench to watch guys skate around outside does not sound like a good time. But it kind of brings me back to the days of being a kid, shoveling off the pond out back and lacing up the skates, followed by warming up with a big mug of hot cocoa and having a bonfire in the backyard of my parents house. There's just something totally nostalgic {I know, I sound like I'm 23 going on 45} about what this game seems to stand for. Plus, there's no way that I could bash something that will feature hottie Sidney Crosby. Anyway, here's the latest update from THN about the upcoming game:

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-looking pads, Ouellet declared, he must keep wearing them when the
Penguins return indoors.
"It's going to be cool," Sabourin said, commenting
not on the anticipated game-time temperature of just below freezing 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 the 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 C for the outdoor game in Edmonton, and predicted breezes could make it 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 tuque 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. "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 NFL 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 gloves worn today - not only as a tribute but also to
stay warm.
"(In) Chatham, New Brunswick, my dad's hometown, every night the
firemen go around and ice over the basketball courts," Malone said. "Can you
imagine every basketball court in Pittsburgh being flooded for ice
rinks?
"It's definitely going to be something special."
At least Malone
gets to wear one of the light blue jerseys like those the Penguins donned from
1967 to 1979, until they sided with the Pirates and Steelers and went with black
and gold. The Penguins will wear the old-look blue sweaters for this game
only.
Some Penguins players aren't big fans of an experimental game like this
one counting in the standings. But one of the selling points for the league is
that many of the 70,000-plus fans can someday tell future generations they saw
Crosby play outdoors in a for-real game.
Only three years ago, Crosby and his
Rimouski, Que., teammates played three-on-three games outdoors during their days
off from junior hockey.
"But I have never played (outdoors) in front of
anything like that (Buffalo)," Crosby said. "It's obviously a football field so
everybody's not on top of you.
"Depending on the weather, I'm sure it will
affect how loud they are."
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."