The Wild beat the Blackhawks 6-1 yesterday at TCF Bank Stadium, putting on a "show for the enthusiastic crowd" of 50,426 who turned out for the Coors Light Stadium Series, according to Michael Russo of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. Cold weather and a few snow flurries also "added to the wonderful pageantry" of the NHL's first outdoor game in Minnesota. The Wild never let their "foot off the gas but also made sure to soak up the atmosphere." Wild G Devan Dubnyk said, "You can see why football players get fired up running out on the field.” Wild RW Jason Pominville said, “You’re caught in awe. … There’s fireworks. The plane (flyover). Everything’s just great. It’s a treat to be able to play in one of these" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 2/22). In St. Paul, Chad Graff notes the outdoor showcase was played "in front of the largest crowd this state has recorded for a hockey game." The Wild "walked out of the tunnel single file at the start of the game with the University of Minnesota band playing and pyrotechnics bellowing beside them." And even though the Wild are not in position for the playoffs, the festivities "were fitting as the Wild throttled the Western Conference’s top team" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/22).
SMOOTH SAILING: In N.Y., Pat Borzi writes yesterday's contest was "not just a game day." This was something fans in Minnesota "have been looking forward to and talking about for five, six years." As auditions go, this one "went close to swimmingly." The "one negative" in yesterday’s game was that it was "only the second nonsellout in 17 NHL outdoor games." Wild fans "initially balked at the NHL-mandated ticket prices, ranging from $109 to $449" for both an alumni game Saturday and yesterday's contest. Wild Owner Craig Leipold said that the club "eventually sold their allotment of 35,000 tickets and the Blackhawks sold their 10,000 as well." Leipold: "If we had 40,000 to sell, we would have sold 40,000." Leipold’s "relentless lobbying" of NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman for a Winter Classic led to this event. Wild COO Matt Majka: “Speaking honestly, the league has never disputed whether the market or our fans deserve a Winter Classic. What they wanted for us to be is a better hockey team. And that was fair." Bettman "declined to specify what the Wild needed to land the Winter Classic." Leipold said, “I don’t know what else we can do. ... This market couldn’t be better. Our TV ratings are unbelievable, the highest they’ve ever been. We think we’re the total package" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/22).
BEAUTIFUL DAY: In Chicago, Chris Kuc writes a winner from yesterday's game was the NHL, which "keeps pushing the envelope with more outdoor games." When the game started the conditions "were perfect -- cloudy and 35 degrees -- and it made for an idyllic setting" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/22). In Minneapolis, Michael Rand writes in "spite of any flaws -- including the NHL perhaps overdoing these outdoor games -- fans love it" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 2/22). ESPN.com's Scott Burnside wrote the game led to a "pretty nice weekend for the State of Hockey." The ice "was in great shape," and the game "had great pace." Throw in the almost 40,000 who turned out Saturday for the alumni game, and that is "a pretty good weekend of hockey for the Twin Cities" (ESPN.com, 2/22). Bettman said that after next week’s Stadium Series game between the Avalanche and Red Wings in Denver, "more than 1 million fans will have attended one of the NHL’s 18 outdoor games." Bettman: “Too much is made of the difference between the Winter Classic and the Stadium Series. I think if you ask the 50,000-plus people here today, they couldn’t tell you the difference; they’re just having a great time being here" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/22).
