After a long wait, the Columbus Blue Jackets will finally compete in (and host!) an outdoor game this Saturday, March 1, at Ohio Stadium. Over 80,000 fans are expected to be in attendance to watch the Jackets host the Detroit Red Wings.
We’ll have more information about the hockey side of this matchup as we cover Thursday’s meeting in Detroit, and in our game preview on Saturday morning. This post will cover the fan experience side so you know what to expect and what to plan for.
Can I still get tickets?
Apparently, yes! While the NHL has been pleased with ticket sales, the game is not yet officially a sell-out. You can still purchase tickets here, and you can see that there are no large pockets of empty seats still open. That’s exciting to see! Will there be a ton of Detroit fans? Don Waddell suggested last week that “90%” of tickets sold were to Jackets fans. That seems high to me, but if there is a clear majority of Columbus fans, that’s huge.
Is there a Cannon meet-up?
Yes! I’ll be hanging out in Lot C south of the French Field House for at least an hour around the 4-5 PM window. I’ll post more details in the game day thread once I park, but I’ll hang my Cannon site jersey as a signal.
If anyone wants to coordinate a meet-up spot or spots inside the stadium during intermissions, feel free.
What special plans does the NHL have?
The NHL has provided a handy fan guide with important information to know if you’re attending. The major highlights of the pre-game experience are:
Honda NHL Pregame: There will be an official tailgate from noon until 5 pm at the corner of Lane Avenue and Perry Street, a couple blocks north of the stadium. There will be interactive games and you can get your picture taken with the Stanley Cup! (but don’t touch it, lest you jinx the team!)
Pep Rally: At 2:30 pm in St. John Arena, there will be a pregame pep rally and concert featuring the band O.A.R. (who formed at OSU), as well as the OSU athletic band. The Blue Jackets players will also appear, then follow the OSU band on the traditional pregame march across the street to the stadium.
What is it like to attend an outdoor game?
Your intrepid reporter decided to get an early taste of the experience, as I traveled to Chicago in early January for the Big Ten’s Frozen Confines series. Both the men’s and women’s teams from Ohio State competed in games at Wrigley Field, on the ice the NHL set up for the Winter Classic.
Weather
Those games in Chicago were extremely cold, with the wind chill reaching the single digits for the first night’s games. Fortunately, the weather forecast for Columbus is looking warmer than that. The biggest break is that we should be free of rain or snow. During the day, highs are in the mid-to-high 40s, which should be perfect for hanging out around the stadium. As the sun goes down, however, temperatures will continue dropping into the 30s with the wind chill dipping into the 20s.
Some tips I’ve picked up for dealing with the colder temperatures:
Layering: As long time Midwest residents know, the key for dressing appropriately for this is layering. When in doubt, wear too much and take stuff off if you get too warm.
Hats/gloves/scarfs: even if you decide to tough it out without a coat, don’t neglect proper wear for your extremities. You lose a lot of heat through your head so wear a good winter hat, and keep your ears and face covered as much as you can, especially if the wind picks up. You’ll be thankful for wearing gloves, too.
A good pair of boots will get you through the day, and go ahead and double-up the socks too.
Cardboard: Another thing that will help your feet is bringing a piece of cardboard to place on the cold cement of the stadium below your seat. Now, it may not be THAT cold given that temperatures are going to be warmer this week, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. You may also find it useful as a seat cushion instead of the metal bleachers are too cold.
Shelter: At Wrigley, the bathrooms were heated so there were often people just hanging out there to get warm. That’s not my cup of tea, but you do you. There was heat in the lower level concourse (and also the body heat of the crowd milling around), so I ended up walking down there during each intermission to warm up and to get out of the wind. I also found that walking and going up and down stairs got the blood flowing.
What will the actual hockey-watching be like?
The first thing you have to recognize is that the hockey is affected by not being played in a perfectly controlled environment like in Nationwide. The ice is going to be different than what the players are used to. The expected temperatures for the game should be pretty close to ideal, but in Chicago I found that when it’s too cold, the ice suffers. It affected the speed of the game and the puck took more weird bounces. The ice crew also didn’t scrape the entire surface, which felt odd to me. Certainly the NHL won’t accept that here.
As for the view, even the best seats are going to be farther away than the best seats at Nationwide. There will be a gap between the ice surface and the fans, and most fans will be sitting up way higher. The rink is being set up approximately between the numbers on the football field, and between the 18 yard lines.
This picture from today gives you an idea:
And a higher view from Friday:
To give you an idea of the view on game day, here is are a couple of shots from the lower rows of the 300 level of Wrigley (i.e. the upper deck)
And here is one from the upper rows of the lower bowl:
The rink is aligned much better in a football stadium, with less large space between the rink and the seats. If you can sit around the 50 yard line and the upper deck, you should have a pretty ideal view. High in A deck would also be good, but as you get lower in A, you will find more of your view obstructed by the boards.
Tracking which players are which was a challenge at times, but the special uniforms being worn on Saturday include oversized numbers, which should make things pop way more in person (and on TV).
Who is going? Sound off in the comments and let us know where you’re sitting.
Has anyone else attended any outdoor hockey games (such as recent ones for OSU or the Monsters in Cleveland)? Any additional tips for how to prepare or what to expect?