Players, coaches savor the day at Wrigley
Had the Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings been blindfolded and dropped onto the ice at Wrigley Field for Thursday's Winter Classic, they would have been hard-pressed to tell the difference between the NHL's portable rink system and the indoor ice sheets they compete on every day.
"The ice was a lot better than it was (at Wednesday's practice)," said Buffalo Grove native Brett Lebda, who scored the sixth goal in Detroit's 6-4 comeback victory. "I think with this new system they'll get better and better as they learn every year. It wasn't bad."
The NHL's best-case weather scenario came to fruition: no precipitation during the game, overcast skies, temperatures hovering around freezing and moderate winds at 10 mph.
Overcast skies meant the teams didn't need to change sides of the rink every 10 minutes for the sake of fairness, which was the plan had it been a sunny day.
"I think it helps goalies without the sun," said Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville. "With a glare off the ice from the sun itself, you can lose sight of things. But there's some funny bounces, and with goalies it's tough getting your angles without certain landmarks outside of the ice rink.
"It was a great experience. The fans were great, the building was excited. It was a special place to be and play. Certainly, we're not happy with the way it ended up, but it was privilege to be here today."
Detroit coach Mike Babcock pointed out a subtle problem with competing outdoors in cold air.
"The guys were telling me you get a little tightness in your chest," Babcock said. "You don't last as long on the ice. But other than that I didn't think conditions had any bearing on the outcome of the game."
The crowd of 40,818 - which included a healthy contingent of Red Wings fans - was buzzing throughout a pregame presentation that featured introductions of past Blackhawks and Cubs greats, fireworks, rousing versions of the Canadian and American national anthems and a two-jet flyover by Navy F-18 Super Hornets.
"Before the game everyone was looking around, taking it all in, trying to get accustomed to it," said Hawks winger Jonathan Toews. "Certainly, the energy level was high to start. Everyone was pumped up. The pregame festivities were very exciting, and we came out and played the way we wanted to start the game.
"It had an NHL-like atmosphere. I think the NHL did a heck of a job promoting the game and putting together a facility that was pretty similar to everything we've played on all year. The ice wasn't a factor. It was a great experience. It was just like a regular NHL game."
As for Lebda, who rooted for the Cubs as well as the Blackhawks while growing up in the Northwest suburbs, scoring a goal in a game played at Clark and Addison held special meaning.
"Just coming out of that dugout and seeing this sight was pretty cool," said Lebda, who played college hockey at Notre Dame. "You're usually on the other side of the fence here sitting in the stands. Just to be out there playing in a hockey game in Wrigley Field was a pretty neat experience."