I'm not talking about the Winter Classic in Pittsburgh. No, not the Heritage Classic in Calgary either. It's the opening game in the 2011 IIHL World U20 Championships!
But the World Juniors were just played in Buffalo you say. We witnessed the greatest third period collapse in World Junior history by the Canadians to the Russians you say. There were no outdoor games played in Buffalo. Well, you're absolutely correct. But the opening game of the Division III Championships were played outdoors this past Sunday.
...in Mexico.
That's right folks. Zócalo Square was transformed into a winter wonderland as Mexico and Bulgaria faced off to open the tournament. The IIHF reported that they expected no less than 50,000 fans to take in the unusual outdoor game. TSN reported tonight that just over 3,000 spectators (or maybe mostly curious onlookers) came out to watch the spectacle. They then proceeded to throw in a little sarcasm by saying tournament officials pointed out they still outdrew the Phoenix Coyotes. Mexico handily dispatched the Bulgarians 8-0. The very Mexican sounding, 18 year old forward, Christian Smithers scored four times for the home side. The 6'2", 176lb forward hailing from San Jeronimo enjoyed a team high nine shots on net. Rounding out the scoring were Diego Linares and Hernando Chavez who each potted a pair.
I can't believe I can't find anything on the internets reporting this game. TSN had a quick mention on Sportscentre that the game took place with a little bit of film footage but no score was reported. I would have expected a write up by the IIHF at least but they only had an article to hype the game. I found a few more write-ups about the possibility of an outdoor game but nothing beyond that. So I guess you could say this is a FOTI exclusive. Woohoo.
Alright, seriously. I'm not trying to belittle the Mexican team. They could probably skate circles around me. I'm happy they pulled off a win in front of their home crowd and I wish them well in the tourney. Still, it was an interesting idea to hold an outdoor game in Mexico. I wonder how hot it was. The quick clip on TSN showed puddles of water on the ice like we saw in Pittsburgh when the rain came down. I would have liked to play a shift.
But the World Juniors were just played in Buffalo you say. We witnessed the greatest third period collapse in World Junior history by the Canadians to the Russians you say. There were no outdoor games played in Buffalo. Well, you're absolutely correct. But the opening game of the Division III Championships were played outdoors this past Sunday.
...in Mexico.
That's right folks. Zócalo Square was transformed into a winter wonderland as Mexico and Bulgaria faced off to open the tournament. The IIHF reported that they expected no less than 50,000 fans to take in the unusual outdoor game. TSN reported tonight that just over 3,000 spectators (or maybe mostly curious onlookers) came out to watch the spectacle. They then proceeded to throw in a little sarcasm by saying tournament officials pointed out they still outdrew the Phoenix Coyotes. Mexico handily dispatched the Bulgarians 8-0. The very Mexican sounding, 18 year old forward, Christian Smithers scored four times for the home side. The 6'2", 176lb forward hailing from San Jeronimo enjoyed a team high nine shots on net. Rounding out the scoring were Diego Linares and Hernando Chavez who each potted a pair.
I can't believe I can't find anything on the internets reporting this game. TSN had a quick mention on Sportscentre that the game took place with a little bit of film footage but no score was reported. I would have expected a write up by the IIHF at least but they only had an article to hype the game. I found a few more write-ups about the possibility of an outdoor game but nothing beyond that. So I guess you could say this is a FOTI exclusive. Woohoo.
Alright, seriously. I'm not trying to belittle the Mexican team. They could probably skate circles around me. I'm happy they pulled off a win in front of their home crowd and I wish them well in the tourney. Still, it was an interesting idea to hold an outdoor game in Mexico. I wonder how hot it was. The quick clip on TSN showed puddles of water on the ice like we saw in Pittsburgh when the rain came down. I would have liked to play a shift.
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