After a previous report that the NHL was considering the option of starting the 2020-21 season with a Jan. 1 outdoor game at Lake Louise, it looks like that’s been taken off the table after a more thorough examination of the idea.
Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Lake Louise is no longer a tenable option for the league after issues found in a site visit. It’s too bad, because hockey fans only need to hear the words “NHL” and “Lake Louise” together to get excited for the possibility, but at least the league made the effort to scope it out.
For past Winter Classic games, the NHL has played outdoor games in football arenas with large seating capacities, but the effect of the pandemic on fan attendance at games presented the unusual option to play at the iconic and scenic Lake Louise ODR.
Unfortunately, it just doesn’t seem to be practical enough for the league to do so at this time. Considering everything that goes into staging an NHL game, that makes sense, but it still would’ve been cool to see.
At least we’ve had the chance to play on the Lake Louise ice for ourselves.
