Canada, U.S. take cold war outside
Forecast plays havoc but not frigid enough to wipe out open-air clash
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.— Team Canada goalie Carter Hart wore eye black, and extra socks, and thick underwear.
Hart and his teammates got a taste of what their history-making game against the United States on Friday afternoon will be like by getting in a light practice Thursday at New Era Field, home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the birthplace of the NHL Winter Classic.
It’ll be the site of the first world junior championship outdoor game, with more than 40,000 expected to attend, by far the largest crowd in the history of this event.
“It was cool to get out there for the first time, and to step out on to the field,” said Hart. “It brings back memories of the childhood days, playing on the outdoor rink and feeling that kind of cold air, and runny noses, and cold feet.
“It’s a feeling like no other. It’s pretty breathtaking.”
Hart, it turns out, grew up near teammate Sam Steel about 10 minutes outside Sherwood Park, Alta. The Steel family had a backyard rink so close to official standards — with boards, lights and an ice resurfacer — that the Regina Pats practised on it to prepare for an outdoor game in 2011.
So, Hart and Steel, like so many Canadians, have played outdoor hockey a lot.
“I’ve been on that outdoor rink with Sammy a million times,” said Hart. “Our dads were out there (watching practice) and saying: You guys should be used to this with all the hours you spent outside.”
Steel joked that Friday’s game won’t be as big as the ones in his backyard when the neighbourhood kids packed the rink.
“When you’re a kid, you get creative with your buddies,” he said. “It’s Stanley Cup finals, Olympic finals, gold-medal games, all that.
“To be coming into a situation here where it’s actually a huge game, it’s going to be a lot of fun. Hopefully the weather co-operates.”
The weather was an issue when the local organizing committee met Thursday to rubber-stamp approval for the game. It’s been bitter cold in Buffalo, but Friday might be more co-operative, perhaps as high as -8C and partly sunny.
Defenceman Dante Fabbro played in Frozen Fenway, a big outdoor tournament last January, with the University of Boston Terriers (who beat the University of Massachusetts 5-3).
“The crowd, the school bands, it was pretty special,” said Fabbro. “It was my first outdoor game. It was a moment I won’t forget, and I want this to be a huge moment and something to share with my family and my teammates.”
Fabbro says it’s a different game outdoors.
“There’s going to be big chunks of ice coming out,” said Fabbro. “Keeping the game as simple as possible is definitely the way to go in these games. A lot of things can happen on an outdoor rink.”
The Americans also played Thursday night. They got their chance to practise at New Era Field on Wednesday. The backdrop, of course, will be bragging rights. The Canadians lost to the Americans in the goldmedal game at the last tournament, in Montreal.
“It was definitely a tough experience last year,” said Fabbro, one of seven Canadian returnees. “All the returning players definitely learned from that, and obviously we want to finish the job. We’re definitely ready.”
This is no ordinary preliminaryround game.
“It’s probably one of the biggest rivalries in sports,” said Hart, in net for that shootout loss in last year’s final. “The U.S. and Canada are probably the two biggest hockey powers in the world. Any time they’re meeting — whether it’s world junior, world championships or Olympics — it’s pretty big.
“We’re pretty excited.”