Bruce Cassidy refused to resort to coach-speak when discussing Monday’s Winter Classic between his Vegas Golden Knights and the host Seattle Kraken at T-Mobile Park.
“It’s not one of 82 games,” Cassidy said. “It’s a different feeling. It’s a different atmosphere. So, you should soak it all in.”
The NHL’s two newest franchises play in the league’s 15th Winter Classic and the 39th outdoor game since the Edmonton Oilers played host to the Montreal Canadiens in 2003 at Commonwealth Stadium.
Kraken forward Jordan Eberle said he watched that first game on TV as a 13-year-old in Regina, Saskatchewan.
“I remember it was freezing cold,” Eberle said. “I remember watching the guys on the bench struggling. I don’t remember what the temperature was like (a wind chill of minus-22 degrees), but you could tell that they were cold.
“It’s cool to see how that started and where it’s gone to now and how many they do. It’s great for the league. It builds the game. And I think that’s what we all try to do.”
Monday’s forecast in Seattle calls for partly cloudy skies and a high of 47. There’s an 8 percent chance of rain, but the NHL has an insurance policy of sorts in this case as the Seattle Mariners’ ballpark has a retractable roof.
NHL officials said if it does rain Monday, they could extend the roof far enough to cover the ice surface but keep it partially open to retain the feel of an outdoor game.
“The NHL does an amazing job and each year it gets better and better,” Kraken forward Jared McCann said. “And obviously, we have the facility here with T-Mobile and the roof and everything to host something much more special, and we’re going to try and make the most of it.”
Both teams got a chance to practice at T-Mobile Park over the weekend.
“We’ll just get a feel for the ice conditions out there,” Cassidy said. “It won’t be your normal pregame sort of practice. We’ll get our touches in, but we’ll enjoy the moment. I’m sure guys will be looking around and excited to be there.”
Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo played for the host St. Louis Blues against Chicago in the 2017 Winter Classic at Busch Stadium.
“It’s an early game, right? Less build-up. You just kind of wake up and go to the rink. You just can’t expect the ice to be very good,” he said. “It’s going to be cold. Just got to go in there with an open mind and just accept maybe it’s not going to be the easiest game to play, but just enjoy it while you’re out there.”
The Golden Knights snapped a four-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory against the visiting Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. Logan Thompson made 32 saves and Jack Eichel, Michael Amadio and William Karlsson scored.
The Kraken have won four in a row and have a franchise record-tying eight-game points streak (6-0-2) after rallying to beat Philadelphia 2-1 Friday on Justin Schultz’s overtime winner.
Both teams have spent the weekend looking ahead to Monday.
“It’s going to take you back to when you’re 8, 10, 12 years old, right?” Cassidy said. “You’re just outside playing hockey. Obviously, there’s a game involved. There’s two points involved. But that’s the part that they should sort of look back and reminisce.”
–Field Level Media