Predators Reflect on Experiences Playing in Outdoor Games

"It's just exciting," Sissons said. "It's such a special day and a unique experience that we had. It was extra special being in front of our fans and doing it at Nissan."

"It was so much fun."

An outdoor game comes with a unique atmosphere and a unique vibe. Yesterday the Golden Knights showed up in bejeweled Elvis jumpsuits and wigs while the Kraken made their appearance decked out like fishermen. When it was Nashville's chance to choose a fashion theme for the 2022 Stadium Series, the team went with an old school Johnny Cash-like vibe. 

For as amazing as the atmosphere and experience is, Sissons pointed out that there are practical challenges that teams have to adjust to when it comes to playing outdoors. 

"Sometimes ice conditions can be a challenge," Sissons said. "We kind of went through that a little bit."

When it comes to challenging conditions, Dante Fabbro has had an interesting outdoor hockey experience. Fabbro played in two collegiate outdoor games, the 2020 Winter Classic, and the 2022 Stadium Series, but the outdoor game that stands out for Fabbro was the 2018 World Juniors game between Team Canada and Team USA in New York. 

"It was in Buffalo, and it was hilarious," Fabbro said. 

A game that started off under clear skies ended up being played in the middle of a typical December Orchard Park snowstorm. 

"They would shovel the snow off, and it took an extra ten minutes because we were caught in the middle of a snowstorm playing outside."

"It was actually really cool," Fabbro said. "You'd skate up the ice and you couldn't even see the puck because it was buried in snow. It was crazy. It took them a really long time to clear the snow off. It was fun."

Fabbro's family didn't enjoy the outdoor experience quite as much sitting in the stands. 

"My parents were watching the game," he said. "By the time it was over they were like 'I can never do that again.'"

Although Ryan O'Reilly hasn't played an outdoor game in a Predators jersey, he has had opportunities to experience an outdoor hockey game.

"It's such a cool event. It's just so different," he said. 

"I've played in a couple. One in New York which was good. Last one I played in was in Minnesota," O'Reilly said. 

The Minnesota outdoor game O'Reilly played in between the St. Louis Blues and the Wild was originally scheduled for 2021, but because of uncertainties around the pandemic the teams didn't play outdoors until January 1, 2022 in the Winter Classic. To help with the ice, the game was scheduled to be played in primetime. While the later puck drop helped with ice conditions, it didn't help the players with the weather conditions. The temperature as the game began was -5.7° F, the coldest NHL outdoor game on record. 

"I was so cold," O'Reilly said when talking about that Winter Classic game. 

"That was obviously very different because you're trying to stay warm and trying to figure out how to get through the game."

O'Reilly recorded an assist in the Blues 6-4 win over the Wild, but he paid a tough price for several days after the game. 

"It was so cold, for a week after I couldn't sleep on my sides because my ears were so like frostbitten and such like that. It hurt so much to be on my ears," O'Reilly said. 

"I definitely should have had some ear protection or something there for it."

While he didn't wear any ear protection for the game, O'Reilly did give props for the specialty jersey the Blues wore in that game. 

"I liked the Winter Classic one we did in Minnesota with the Blues," O'Reilly said. "It had kind of the old cream vintage look to it. I thought they did a great job with it."

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