The National Hockey League (NHL) has every intention of moving forward with the Winter Classic scheduled for Saturday night at Target Field, Minnesota, and weather conditions won’t block their plans.
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Of course, COVID-19 remains a threat at all times, but when it comes to the weather forecast, the leaders of the circuit are reassuring.
However, the cold will probably be there for the duel between the St. Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild. A maximum temperature of -20 degrees Celsius is expected; the thermometer needle could drop down to -27 degrees.
“For any outdoor encounter, the weather is a factor. We recognize this reality in every place. And like every other game, we’re watching the weather and making decisions in the best interests of our players and fans, quite simply, ”said NHL Content Director Steve Mayer. , at the official website of the league.
“We collect expert opinions, but the weather is constantly changing, too. It is in constant motion. We will not make assumptions. We will make a decision based on facts, he added. Right now, we are confident that the game will go as planned. ”
An icy first
In the modern era, the NHL has staged 32 away games and the most frigid was the first, November 22, 2003, between the Montreal Canadiens and the Edmonton Oilers at Commonwealth Stadium. The players of both teams had crossed swords at the Classic Heritage in a temperature of around -18 degrees and in the presence of more than 57,000 spectators.
For this year, the NHL hopes it will not have to impose last minute emergency measures.
“If you look at the last January 1, it was okay,” said Mayer. Whenever we have an event, I can’t tell you if it will snow or if the sun will shine. There are a lot of people in Minnesota who have told us how tough a local supporter is, and that was certainly a factor in getting us here. ”
The Winter Classic will be broadcast on TVA Sports on Saturday at 7 p.m.