Rain, in a hockey game? Yes, indeed. The NHL was worried about that very possibility during last week’s Winter Classic in St. Louis, but they avoided any issues.
Well, the AHL decided to give the Outdoor Classic –between the Ontario Reign and Bakersfield Condors — a go on Saturday night in Bakersfield, California… as rain flooded the rink.
Seriously, how in the world did they play through this?
There is so much rain at the AHL Outdoor Classic tonight that whenever anyone shoots the puck, they also shoot a puddle of water pic.twitter.com/RJ8O72ia2w
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) January 8, 2017
Start of the 2nd period. pic.twitter.com/VQHPzZZpK2
— Tom Gazzola (@TomGazzola) January 8, 2017
Good heavens. It looks like they’re about to fall through into a pond below. This is not ideal for hockey.
The best/worst part of the game? It ended up going into overtime!
Here’s more, via SBNation:
It’s a marvel that the AHL allowed the game to continue, considering that it must have been a miserable experience for fans in the stands and a safety concern for players on the ice. The whole rink is one giant puddle, and it’s clearly affecting playing conditions.
But the show continued on. The Reign were leading the Condors 2-1 in the final stretches of the third period, but the Condors came back to tie and eventually win in overtime.
Bakersfield averages about one inch of rain per January. As in, the whole month. They only get about six inches of rain a year. It’s a desert, for god’s sake. This is just poor timing. But hey, if you ever wanted to watch hockey played in what amounts to a flooded basement, you got your wish on Saturday.
