With no Winter Classic or Stadium Series games this season due to the coronavirus pandemic and not being able to have fans, the National Hockey League had to get creative and was able to find a way to able to have outdoor games anyway. It was an idea that had been discussed before that finally came into fruition by hosting outdoor games on a golf course near Lake Tahoe in Nevada. It’s an interesting concept as the Lake Tahoe area is beautiful and is a great winter backdrop for an outdoor hockey game. It can’t get any better than that. There will be two games this weekend. On Saturday, the local Vegas Golden Knights will take on the Colorado Avalanche. Sunday will see a Winter Classic rematch as the Boston Bruins take on the Philadelphia Flyers. Let’s take a look at the exciting weekend ahead filled with outdoor NHL hockey.
Jerseys
Normally, there are specially designed jerseys for outdoor games like the Winter Classic and Stadium Series. Instead, this year will feature the teams wearing their Reverse Retro jerseys. Let’s take a look at what the teams will be wearing:
Vegas Golden Knights
Colorado Avalanche
Boston Bruins
Philadelphia Flyers
Lake Tahoe rink setup
The rink and especially the backdrop look absolutely amazing for outdoor hockey! When I heard that an event like this was happening, it got me really excited. Looking at the setup makes you want to lace up your skates and play some outdoor ice hockey. Just like the Winter Classic or Stadium Series, this takes hockey back to its roots. It definitely takes you back to being a young hockey player and learning to love the game. I hope the league does something similar soon when hopefully fans will be able to return to watch in person. Great idea and location choice by the NHL!
Matchups
Vegas Golden Knights vs Colorado Avalanche (Saturday @ 3pm EST)
This game features two Western Conference rivals in the Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche. For the Golden Knights, this won’t be a typical home game. They get their first chance of playing outdoors at Nevada’s famous Lake Tahoe. The Avalanche are no strangers to outdoor games as they will be playing in their third in five years. Both previous times the Avs didn’t fare too fell as they lost in outdoor games to the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings. Can they redeem themselves outdoors? We’ll have to see what happens on Saturday afternoon.
Boston Bruins vs Philadelphia Flyers (Sunday @ 2pm EST)
Sunday afternoon will feature a familiar outdoor matchup as the Boston Bruins take on the Philadelphia Flyers. Both of these teams are outdoor game veterans and have faced each other before in one back in 2010 in the Winter Classic at Fenway Park in Boston. In case you forgot, the Boston Bruins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers the last time in overtime 2-1. The Bruins have been playing very well as and are currently leading the Massmutal East division. The Philadelphia Flyers returned to action recently as they were off a week due some players testing positive for COVID-19. They are hoping to build on the nice start they were having to the season. This will be another interesting matchup of division and conference rivals for sure.
