Rumor: 2017 Outdoor Game in Ottawa

pepty

Let's win it all
Feb 22, 2005
13,457
215
Yeah, the Rideau canal would be a great place to have a game.

It would but it is not a place they can plan to have such a game.

When the all star game was here a number of events were planned for the canal and nearly all had to be cancelled Some were relocated to the Rink of Dreams.

Some years the canal is scarcely open for even a month.

Also, how would you have 40 thousand or so fans packed in to watch the game? There is really not much space either side of the canal and if they built bleachers on the canal the dramatic finale would likely be the ice giving way under players and fans.

The game should be at the new stadium which after all is right next to the canal, and have events planned for the canal and cross fingers that it would be frozen enough to host those events.
 

smithy

Registered User
May 31, 2011
351
0
New York
The canal is viable. You would simply plan the game at the time when the ice is expected to be at its thickest, right in the early-to-middle part of the canal season (around late January or early February). The cost of setting up the stands would probably range from high six figures (to set them up on the Colonel By and Queen Elizabeth drives) to a couple million (to pile-drive them into Dow's Lake). That expense would be higher than renting out the stadium, but Canada's 150th anniversary (and the NHL's 100th) only happens once!
 

dukeofjive

Registered User
Jul 7, 2013
5,562
2,992
whistler b.c
You would think the nhl would have already had a outdoor game in ottawa, the tickets would sell out so quick, ottawa toronto or ottawa montreal.
 

Taoiseach

Go Hull Go!
May 14, 2011
1,537
1
Ottawa-Gatineau, NCR
Correct me if I m wrong, but I believe it would be the first NHL game on natural ice.

Nah.

Off the top of my head, the third Dey's Arena had a natural ice surface, as did the Jubilee Arena, Mount Royal Arena, and Westmount Arena. The Aud and the Forum were the first arenas in Ottawa and Montréal respectively to have artificial ice surfaces, I believe (I doubt Montréal had a smaller rink with artificial ice).

There were probably some other ones as well. Wherever the Bulldogs played likely had a natural ice surface as well.
 

danishh

Registered User
Dec 9, 2006
33,018
53
YOW
i like historians.

but yeah, the canal isnt really workable as an nhl ice surface. Too unreliable.

and a canada 'week' in 2017 with an outdoor game against the leafs (or habs) is IMO the best scenario. Obviously 6 teams arnt going to visit us in 7 days, i used the term 'week' liberally, it would likely take ~12 days.
 

pepty

Let's win it all
Feb 22, 2005
13,457
215
The canal is viable. You would simply plan the game at the time when the ice is expected to be at its thickest, right in the early-to-middle part of the canal season (around late January or early February). The cost of setting up the stands would probably range from high six figures (to set them up on the Colonel By and Queen Elizabeth drives) to a couple million (to pile-drive them into Dow's Lake). That expense would be higher than renting out the stadium, but Canada's 150th anniversary (and the NHL's 100th) only happens once!

The All Star Game was Jan 29, and that weekend nearly all of the activities planned for the canal had had to be cancelled.

Even a week or two later after it was reopened it is questionable if it could safely hold thousands of fans.

Some years the canal closes the third week of February.

However lots of other events could be planned for the canal, and by that time there should be the new outdoor rink at Lansdowne as well as the Rink of Dreams as a fall back if the canal is not ready.
 
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Back in Black

All Sports would be great if they were Hockey
Jan 30, 2012
9,922
2,111
In the Penalty Box
Realistically it could be done, but they would have to refrigerate the canal ice just like they do at stadium games, so obviously the Football field it will be.
 

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