'There's going to be a lot of rebounds'
NEIL STEVENS
CANADIAN PRESS
EDMONTON — Expect more than the usual number of rebounds, which might mean a high-scoring Heritage Classic game.
The Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers skated Friday afternoon on the temporary rink in Commonwealth Stadium to get used to the unique setting for the first regular-season outdoor game in NHL history Saturday (CBC, 7 p.m. EST). More than 56,000 spectators are expected.
With the wind chill, it felt about -17 C during the practices. Players were on the ice for nearly an hour.
"I thought my hands and feet would be the problem," said Canadiens goalie Jose Theodore.
No, the problem was his catching mitt. The leather stiffened in the bitter cold and some pucks dropped to the ice instead of lodging in the mitt.
"There's going to be a lot of rebounds," said Theodore.
The spittle that dripped from his water bottle formed ice on his sweater.
"Overall, if you keep moving between whistles and do a lot of skating it's going to be fine," Theodore said. "It's a fun experience to be part of.
"It's something I'll remember all my life."
Not being used to the stands being so wide and far away from the rink, Theodore had some difficulty deciding what angles to cut on shots "but like the world championships or Olympics you just need one practice to get used to it."
Sunshine bothered the Montreal goalie at times but that won't be a factor Saturday because the sun will have long set by the time Don Cherry gets wound up on Coach's Corner.
It might not be as cold for the game as it was for practices but there is a possibility of 20-kilometre winds. A warm front is moving in. The high for Sunday is forecast at -2 C.
Heaters blow warm air on to the players when they are seated.
"It's pretty warm on the bench," said Canadiens defenceman Stephane Quintal.
"You could feel it, definitely," agreed teammate Chad Kilger. ``I think it'll be alright."
A few laps around the ice and the players were adapting to the cold.
"After five or 10 minutes we got warmed up and it was fine," said Quintal. "I'm glad we practised to get a feel for what it's going to be like (Saturday).
"The ice is exceptional. They did a great job."
Oilers coach Craig MacTavish said "the biggest concern will be keeping the players' hands warm on the bench."
The Oilers experimented with layers of under garments and small hot packs in gloves.
"It's important that the players got up to speed in terms of what type of clothing they'll need," said MacTavish. "We're hoping it'll be a little warmer (Saturday)."
The fewer penalties the better, said MacTavish. He doesn't want players who aren't on special teams left idle and shivering on the bench.
"We're a four-line hockey team for the most part and we want to keep everybody in the game," he said.
Players don't know what to expect from the huge crowd.
"It's going to be exciting," said Kilger. "There might be more crowd noise than we're used to but because of the open environment I don't know if that will be the case."
The frivolity of Friday will turn into the seriousness of Saturday.
"We have to make a big effort to stay focused on what we have to do," said Montreal centre Joe Juneau. "It's going to be a great experience but we have to get the job done.
"I hope it's a good show for everybody freezing in the stands."
NEIL STEVENS
CANADIAN PRESS
EDMONTON — Expect more than the usual number of rebounds, which might mean a high-scoring Heritage Classic game.
The Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers skated Friday afternoon on the temporary rink in Commonwealth Stadium to get used to the unique setting for the first regular-season outdoor game in NHL history Saturday (CBC, 7 p.m. EST). More than 56,000 spectators are expected.
With the wind chill, it felt about -17 C during the practices. Players were on the ice for nearly an hour.
"I thought my hands and feet would be the problem," said Canadiens goalie Jose Theodore.
No, the problem was his catching mitt. The leather stiffened in the bitter cold and some pucks dropped to the ice instead of lodging in the mitt.
"There's going to be a lot of rebounds," said Theodore.
The spittle that dripped from his water bottle formed ice on his sweater.
"Overall, if you keep moving between whistles and do a lot of skating it's going to be fine," Theodore said. "It's a fun experience to be part of.
"It's something I'll remember all my life."
Not being used to the stands being so wide and far away from the rink, Theodore had some difficulty deciding what angles to cut on shots "but like the world championships or Olympics you just need one practice to get used to it."
Sunshine bothered the Montreal goalie at times but that won't be a factor Saturday because the sun will have long set by the time Don Cherry gets wound up on Coach's Corner.
It might not be as cold for the game as it was for practices but there is a possibility of 20-kilometre winds. A warm front is moving in. The high for Sunday is forecast at -2 C.
Heaters blow warm air on to the players when they are seated.
"It's pretty warm on the bench," said Canadiens defenceman Stephane Quintal.
"You could feel it, definitely," agreed teammate Chad Kilger. ``I think it'll be alright."
A few laps around the ice and the players were adapting to the cold.
"After five or 10 minutes we got warmed up and it was fine," said Quintal. "I'm glad we practised to get a feel for what it's going to be like (Saturday).
"The ice is exceptional. They did a great job."
Oilers coach Craig MacTavish said "the biggest concern will be keeping the players' hands warm on the bench."
The Oilers experimented with layers of under garments and small hot packs in gloves.
"It's important that the players got up to speed in terms of what type of clothing they'll need," said MacTavish. "We're hoping it'll be a little warmer (Saturday)."
The fewer penalties the better, said MacTavish. He doesn't want players who aren't on special teams left idle and shivering on the bench.
"We're a four-line hockey team for the most part and we want to keep everybody in the game," he said.
Players don't know what to expect from the huge crowd.
"It's going to be exciting," said Kilger. "There might be more crowd noise than we're used to but because of the open environment I don't know if that will be the case."
The frivolity of Friday will turn into the seriousness of Saturday.
"We have to make a big effort to stay focused on what we have to do," said Montreal centre Joe Juneau. "It's going to be a great experience but we have to get the job done.
"I hope it's a good show for everybody freezing in the stands."
