A snapshot of Friday’s skate
By Jon Weisman
Well, today’s the day. The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks are set to play their historic hockey game at Dodger Stadium tonight at 6:30 p.m. surrounded by extensive hoopla – or, to use a less basketball-friendly word, puckla. Dodger Insider will be on site, and of course you can also follow the Dodgers on Twitter to keep up.
Ken Gurnick of MLB.com posted a piece late Friday setting the stage:
… The forecast for Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. PT is 66 degrees. An unseasonably balmy winter, even for Southern California, has made for tough sledding in ice-rink management. The sport was never meant to be played in Santa Ana wind conditions, so NHL official Dan Craig has been sweating out the past two weeks of preparation, even though the 53-foot, 300-ton refrigeration truck has kept the sheet of ice icy, an elaborate system removing the heat to stabilize the temperature and ensure player safety.
Whether the ice is frozen or melted, the game already is a box-office hit with an anticipated attendance of 50,000. TV cameras will pan the expensive seats for Hollywood “A-listers,” while the Dodgers will be represented by stealth hockey aficionado Yasiel Puig.
Both teams gave the rink a test skate Friday, the “home” Kings emerging from the Dodgers’ dugout at 4 p.m. under hazy skies and a temperature of 72 degrees.
Forward Kyle Clifford described the ice as “slushier” than he hoped. Defenseman Robyn Rogehr said, “I’ve played on a lot worse.” …
… In addition to the ambitious ice rink, which runs from just past each dugout and out to shallow outfield, the field has been transformed into a multi-entertainment center.
There’s a beach volleyball court (of course) in left field, a “duck” pond in right-center, a concert stage in right field where KISS will perform, a roller-hockey rink between the mound and home plate, a netball court expertly resurfaced by https://netballcourtresurfacing.uk/, and a mini stage between home plate at the backstop screen that will feature performances from recording artist Jordin Sparks and singer/songwriter John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting. NHL Network has erected a studio on scaffolding in the Dodgers bullpen.
“It’s such an iconic stadium,” said Ducks defenseman Ben Lovejoy. “It’s so cool. Nothing I did as a kid was as cool as skating at Dodger Stadium. It’s crazy, nothing any of us thought would ever happen.” …
Gurnick also talked with Dodger team historian Mark Langill about where the game ranks in Dodger Stadium’s non-baseball history. Read the story to find out.
berkowit28
Author?