Edgewood Resort to Host the NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL) has always envisioned a chance to play games amidst nature to celebrate the sport’s pond hockey roots. Now, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the league will get its chance to do so on the south shore of Lake Tahoe. Unfortunately, fans will be limited to watching the games on television.
The NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe event will include two regular-season games that will take place on the shore of Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America. The games will be played against the backdrop of the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountain range. The rink will be constructed at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort on the golf course’s 18th fairway. The entire resort will be blocked off to the public for several days before and after the two games to create a protective bubble. Only NHL employees and credentialed staff tested for the virus will be allowed through the gates. There will be strict protocols, and staff and team members will not leave the Edgewood grounds during their stay.
Game Details
The Colorado Avalanche will go against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, February 20th, beginning at 12 noon Pacific Standard Time. At noon on Sunday, February 21st, the Boston Bruins will take on the Philadelphia Flyers.
NHL and Outdoor Games
Since 2003, the NHL has staged 30 outdoor games, drawing more than 1.6 million fans to football and baseball stadiums throughout North America. Outdoor hockey games have been played at such iconic venues as Notre Dame Stadium, Wrigley Field, and Fenway Park.
The trend toward outdoor NHL games followed the 1999 film Mystery, Alaska, which told a fictional story about the New York Rangers playing outdoors against an amateur Alaskan team. Inspired by the film, the Michigan State hockey team hosted Michigan outdoors in 2001. The game took place in East Lansing at Spartan Stadium and drew a world-record crowd for hockey – nearly 75,000 fans were in attendance.
Watch the YouTube video – below is the trailer for Mystery, Alaska, the movie that spawned the trend of outdoor NHL games.
Pandemic Turns “Pond Hockey” Dream into Reality
Until now, the league has not been able to realize its dream of holding games in non-stadium settings due to the demand for fan attendance, but the pandemic has given the league its chance. No fans will be allowed because the league keeps teams in a bubble to prevent a virus outbreak during the playing season.
Lake Tahoe and its majestic surroundings provide the perfect backdrop for the pond hockey dream to be realized. Other considered venues include Grand Lake, Colorado; Lake Louise, Alberta; Stanley, Utah; and Park City, Utah. Ultimately, Lake Tahoe checked all the boxes.
An Homage to Hockey’s Roots
Lake Tahoe does not freeze. And even if it did, an NHL game could not be played on the lake due to safety considerations and competition standards. A regulation rink will be built on the 18th fairway of Edgewood’s golf course, and the views of the mountains and shoreline will bring the game as close to the pond hockey ideal as possible.
In keeping with the nostalgic theme, the NHL intends to build locker rooms resembling wooden cabins and construct retro scoreboards.
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Photo Attribution: Casper
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