Login

spidey · 01-02-2025, 05:09 PM

OPTION 1:

Growing up in Victoria, BC, being one of the more temperate climates in all of Canada meant there were very few opportunities for Logan Webb to play outdoor hockey. Yes it is Canada, yes it snows amd freezes in Victoria. But it only lasts a few days and not for months on end. Typically lakes and rivers never get the opportunity freeze thick enough for people to skate on. That said there was one winter that sticks out in Logan's mind, when it had been cold for weeks on end and everyone raced to lakes, and bogs all around Victoria to take advantage of the free ice time. It was a fantastic event with neighbors and friends gathering to play hockey, figure skate, share hot chocolate, little ones had snowball fights.

On that day the spirit of the game sored and a young Webb felt closer to family and friends during that cold winter event than he ever did. Outdoor hockey became a moment that was forever locked in his memory and he hopes the same will happen for the fans with the outdoor games in the SHL.

icewindoo · 01-02-2025, 07:18 PM

Written Option 1:

Hockey is an unusual sport. Its roots are in the frozen lakes and rivers of 19th century Canada. It lived for decades in the great outdoors. Only when it was desired to commercialize the game did it come indoors, where the number and conditions of spectators could be regulated for maximum profit. The sport lives and thrives today in musty and frigid indoor arenas across the world. This has let the sport expand to locales of all sorts, but the game today is far from its roots.

The Winter Classic Game is a rare chance to return the hockey to a sense of its youth, and Barcus Juneau is thrilled to be able to participate. Barcus grew up -- almost literally, given how much time he spent -- skating on the neighbourhood outdoor rink. For a precious few moments in this special outdoor game, he can forget the cameras, forget the merchandise, forget the agents and contracts, forget even the fans, and just enjoy the pure thrill of flying down the ice with his closest friends in search of glory.

Evok · 01-02-2025, 08:36 PM

pt pass

roastpuff · 01-03-2025, 02:04 AM

Will Tomlander is used to playing hockey outdoors because he is from Sweden, and not a very big city at that. His grandparents also having a cabin out by the mountains in the center of Sweden which gets quite cold in winter means that when he is on winter break he gets to skate on frozen ponds with other kids. Sweden also has outdoor hockey rinks in the city much like how an American city would have a skate park or a soccer field, so pickup games of hockey are quite common. Getting to play in an outdoor SHL marquee game like the Winter Classic would be an amazing dream come true for Will Tomlander, making a childhood dream come true for him. The effect of the sun on ice whether the glare, the softening surface, or just how outdoor winds can affect the game, it is something that presents a unique challenge and adds to the fun of such games. Doing it day in and day out may not be ideal but once in a while it would be amazing.

dankoa · 01-03-2025, 04:48 AM

Written Option 1

Growing up in Sweden meant that Emil Karlsson was no stranger to cold weather, and the big positive to cold weather as a youngster obsessed with hockey is of course the ability to play the game outdoors. This has meant that Emil has long been a big believer in playing the game out in the elements, and while the games he played back then were fiercely competitive they were certainly nothing compared to the SHL Winter Classic and the scale involved with a game played outdoors in a stadium. But Emil certainly believes playing in this type of game is the closest they can get to replicating that sense of freedom and danger playing outdoors as a child evoked, and he is certainly excited to take part in it. If he were responsible for picking the opponent for the Patriotes to take on, it would be the Toronto North Stars - there's something scintillating about an all-Canadian clash being played outdoors in a stadium like that.

Code:
165 words

Bayley · 01-03-2025, 09:48 AM

ISFL PT

steveoiscool · 01-03-2025, 09:50 AM

Robo Sven has always been interested in snowboarding. The schedules never really seem to mesh up, since he's playing hockey all winter and doing the publicity rounds during the off season, but he's always been jealous of the speed and adrenaline he's seen from other people snowboarding. He knows that he would be great at it, mostly because his mechanical nature gives him remarkable balance, and his optical enhancements would give him a huge leg up on finding the most effective route down any slope. It would be no surprise to see him rocket up the professional leaderboards, although he would most likely have to hide his true nature because there's no doubt he'd be banned for performance enhancing...things? On the flip side, he'd never have to actually wear a helmet since his titanium skull and visor would cover that pretty well. It's something that Robo Sven daydreams about often, but at the end of the day he's happy playing hockey.

Urq660 · 01-03-2025, 10:12 AM

Growing up north of the Arctic Circle, in the town of Tromsø, Inge Baardsen certainly had access to frozen ponds for a lot of his childhood. He grew up learning to skate on frozen ponds in fact, and always loved a game of pick up on them, whenever he wasn’t practicing at the rink. His love of hockey meant he was ready to play any time, any where. So the idea of a Winter Classic played outside is something he can really get behind. Now, Baltimore is not known for its frozen lakes, or particularly cold climate, so the Platoon would ideally be the away team in this scenario, unless they were going to play it at a neutral venue. The best bet for a properly cold time outdoors would be one of the Canadian teams, maybe Toronto or Montreal. Maybe it could involve an SMJHL Winter Classic as well and they could find a spot in the Rockies with Colorado!

Popol · 01-03-2025, 10:20 AM

My player Louis Belanger is kind of mixed on the winter classic. Like a lot of people, he liked it at first, especially in the early 2000s when it was very special. However, as it gotten an annual thing he cares a lot less for it now. A problem being that there is no stake in the game other than the fact that it's a regular season game. Also, the view from the TV is quite bad so you can't enjoy it as much. When you are playing in it, it's very fun. If I had to pick an opponent, I would probably pick a good team so we have a good game. From the event, I would want a lot of heating because I want to play in very cold weather. When you skate outside and you see the breathing from the players it's very fun. I would participate in it.

Chevy · 01-03-2025, 10:57 AM

Code:
Hockey is great but there are so many other winter sports out there that you can spend your time with. Are there any other winter sports your player is or would have been interested if they didn’t start playing hockey? Something they watched or trained as kid? What sport you think your player would be best at and would they even have potential to be professional at that? Or maybe it is something they like to spend their time even as pro hockey player? How would your player do in general on the alternative timeline where they picked another winter sport over hockey?

Imagine if you will, a world wherein a humanoid peanut wasn't so much a crazy sight. Not only in hockey, but in sports in general. Just imagine what could be achieved with a rigid shelled body.

Growing up, other than the sport of Hockey, John Peanut dreamt about this situation and going to the biggest sporting event in the world: The Olympics. But what could a humanoid peanut do in the Olympics you ask? Well that answer is quite simple: bobsledding. John peanut is somewhat already aerodynamic with his hard shell, making taking turns at high rates of speed fairly easy. The only thing that would be a catch is how the skates, that are normally attached to the bottom of the bobsled, could be affixed to him. Of course though, it wouldn't exactly be "bobsledding" since it is just him, however the "skeleton" version is more than right up his alley. He always knew that if he had his momentum up at the beginning, that his size would be able to take him down the track far easier than a standard bobsledder.

Rabidsponge21 · 01-03-2025, 11:02 AM

***hockeyfan*** · 01-03-2025, 11:13 AM

2.

Many people don’t know this about Toronto North Star legend Ace Lightning, but as a child he was considered a sporting god, growing up in the alps of Switzerland. He was good at nearly every outdoor sport and won many golds in the children olympics.

The sport that he excelled at the most, besides hockey, was a winter sport called ice tennis. Basically, the Swiss people love the sport of tennis (hello Roger Federer), but their country is a barren winter landscape for 300 days a year, so they had to improvise. It’s regular tennis but on ice and skates, basically. Lightning was top of his class is ice tennis and was considered one of the sports prodigies until ice tennis was banned internationally due to a betting incident. If it came back, I think it’s safe to say Ace would fit right in again and produce nothing but iconic ice tennis moments for his country.

Mtstreaks04 · 01-03-2025, 11:15 AM

Jacob Marsh isn't a stranger to outdoor games and has spent many years playing on outdoor rinks along with obviously playing on ponds.

There isn't anything close to the feeling of playing outdoors, it takes you back to childhood instantly but there is a few differences to playing outdoors. The first is obviously the cold. Gotta love those locker rooms at outdoor rinks, the ones they keep almost cozy warm but instantly leaving that you in the elements generally with a long walk to the ice surface. It's the first time you realize this won't be a normal game. Thermal gear a must and in extreme Temps gloves under your gloves may be needed.

When on the ice, its not bad to deal with but in the games where you're rolling 4 lines sitting on the bench is enough to feel like you're freezing. Aside from the temperature you need to be aware of the wind. Those windy days skating into the freezing wind have you almost begging for the next period end change.

It's def a different feeling playing outdoors but there is some magic in being able to go out and play in the elements, which is even sweeter with a victory.

Muerto · 01-03-2025, 11:50 AM

Written Option 1

AT-AT has some very fond memories of playing on an outdoor rink. Growing up in Hoth, Iceland as you can imagine it was quite snowy and cold all the time. AT-AT played for the Sith Empire, and they had a big rivalry against the Rebel Alliance. They had one time a really famous outdoor game, it even got memorialized in a scene in a movie. The Rebel scum thought they were pretty smart after winning the championship against the infamous Empire Death Star Team. But they were given the home ice against the Empire for the Hoth Winter Classic. The Empire had a dominant game, they crushed the Rebel in a lopsided victory, but AT-AT is still bitter because what a lot of people remember is that the Rebels' best player, some kid named Luke, pulled some trickery and undressed AT-AT for a ridiculous goal which made all the highlight reels. AT-AT hopes one day there will be an alumni game so he can get another shot at that Luke guy even though he's pretty old now.

Bfine · 01-03-2025, 11:58 AM

Jennifer is thrilled to be playing in an outdoor hockey game. While there weren’t a lot of opportunities to do so in Seoul since most of her friends didn’t play hockey, she found plenty of time to do it when she lived in New York. New York would always be cold enough for it, and with hockey culture being so big she played outdoors all the time. Playing outdoors in the SHL will absolutely be nostalgic for her and remind her of growing up in New York. If Calgary could pick any opponent for an outdoor Winter Classic type game, it would absolutely be Edmonton. For the rivalry, for the hockey culture in both cities, and the fact that you could have an outdoor game in either city. With the rest of the Pacific it could be difficult (Although Seattle does get cold), but playing a game against the Blizzard at McMahon Stadium or Commonwealth Stadium would be an unforgettable experience.

Navigation

Extra Menu

About us