The first outdoor game in World Juniors history turned into a spectacle, as snow littered the field at New Era Field on Friday afternoon.
Conditions were cold, reaching -10 Celsius at puck drop, as the United States defeated Canada 4-3 in a shootout. For some players, the experience was like no other, but for Canadians Carter Hart and Sam Steel, it was just another day at an outdoor arena, this time with a few more spectators.
During the broadcast, TSN World Juniors commentators Gord Miller and Ray Ferraro threw to a clip of Steel’s back yard rink in Sheerwood Park, and it looks fantastic.
Steel was drafted at the backend of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, going 30th overall to the Anaheim Ducks. Various Ducks logos are featured in and around the rink, as well as some Regina Pats logos, where Steel has played since the 2013-2014 season.
Back in 2015, the Pats played the Calgary Hitmen in an outdoor tilt, and had the luxury of practicing on Steel’s rink to get accustomed to the conditions. Earlier this year, the club returned to venue and participated in a full on practice with all of their gear on.
Now that’s sweet. If you have a cool outdoor rink or see once that’s noteworthy, tweet us @BarDown.
