By: Declan Flavin | Follow me on Twitter / X @FlavinDeclan
Although the Stadium Series ambience hit fans on the day of, the feelings really settled in for some the day before, and those can be summed up in one word: fitting.
A rigorous practice inside a tent, followed by media availability, served as a prelude to an event that was somewhat bogged down by more traditional hockey fandom. How was the National Hockey League going to successfully pull off another outdoor game in such a tropical climate?
Well, the reality is that the pirate theme, aided by the collaboration between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their stadium, worked well to set the stage for a northern team adjusting to different jersey styles and an unfamiliar environment. Not to mention the weather, which serves as the other half of the general atmosphere, helping accomplish the right feel for fans and everyone involved with a puck drop around 41 degrees and steady winds.
The comforting dynamic on the eve of Sunday’s outdoor showcase, though, was the pure joy and elation shared by both the team and the media in yet another outdoor environment.
Players, young and old, were putting on their uncharacteristic jerseys, rushing off to practice in an unusual tent, almost like they were playing peewee hockey again.
Media members then enjoyed recapping the day with stories and laughs at a brief reception afterward, leaving this journalist in awe after meeting Northeastern media figures like Conor Ryan, Steve McLaughlin, Steve Conroy, Jim McBride, and Ty Anderson.
What followed was a game day that inspired Boston Bruins players to enter the media tunnel like 18th-century bluecoats, flanked on both sides by longtime journalists and retired NHL players.
After a certain reporter well associated with this article finished introducing himself to key figures in the building and realized that the colonials weren’t just stadium props, he was ready to enter the interview room for quite the linear response from Nikita Zadorov…
Of course, the Bruins were thinking of a certain football team when planning their pregame attire. Now, the elements of Raymond James Stadium, with its harsher weather and the theme of an impending Super Bowl team, combined with the slight but not-so-similar pirate theme, created the perfect mix of coincidence and abnormality for an event like this.
The event itself wouldn’t disappoint either, as both the Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning were nearly pushed by the bitter breeze to give their full effort on the ice.
For perhaps the first time in this journalist’s life, there was a fleeting sense of regret for the bundled fans while the entirety of the media remained snug in the accommodating press box above.
It was a silly thought, though, because the observers and participants of this event were experiencing a joy in competition that simply can’t be replicated. From the lost faceoffs, poor puck handling, and sloppy turnovers to the smart dump-ins, executed passes, and successful after-whistle scrums, the night captured the underlying sense of joy that outdoor hockey usually conveys, even extending to the postgame interviews…
As much as it’s always about earning two points, every adult on an outdoor rink rediscovers what fuels the motivation and energy behind the sport.
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