You have to see it to believe it.
Peter DeBoer said these words after the Vegas Golden Knights coach spent the team Friday through a fun, fun practice session on the NHL’s temporary track built on top of the 18th freeway at Edgewood Tahoe Resort, a slap away from Lake Tahoe with the Sierra Nevada in the distance.
“I think the pictures, as beautiful as they are, do not do it right,” DeBoer said. “I grew up in Canada and know everywhere in the northeastern United States or Minnesota, wherever they can build outdoor lanes, there’s always a competition in the street whose father can build a better lane. Every year comes “You’re back, and someone adds lights or a scoreboard. It’s a microphone-type outdoor track. It’s the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.”
DeBoer’s mouth was not the only one that fell when the Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche rode on track for the first time in the Bridgestone NHL Outdoors on Saturday (15:00 ET; NBC, SN1, SN, TVAS) does not house.
‘Hard to describe, really,’ Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said.
Vegas Captain Mark Stone said: “The view of the mountain is incredible. Because the big trees surround the track, they have done their best of their job to make everything look really rustic with the wood panels. It really brings it back to the old school outside- “This is probably the best outdoor track you’ll ever see.”
It was not just lip service. The players and coaches of both teams did their best to live it out as well, to get the most out of the experience by getting on the field early and staying on the ice until the last seconds of their allotted time.
Video: 2021 NHL Outdoors by Lake Tahoe time-lapse
Vegas only rehearsed at 10 a.m. local time. The avalanche is on the ice around 11:30 p.m.
“I think a good example was that we practiced early today and had two buses, and I think there were only three or four guys waiting for the second bus,” Vegas said. Reilly Smith said. “Everyone was just as excited to come here and see what’s going on, even though most of us came here last night and went to see the facility. It’s special. For many of us, it’s probably just a one-time use-lifetime experience. “Outdoor games are few. Being able to play in one, especially here in this area, is pretty amazing. We want to enjoy it. There are a lot of games during this season, this one definitely emphasizes.”
The wind and sun created challenging conditions, but the ice continued, even as the glare became brighter as the morning changed to noon. The height certainly tested lung capacities.
The games this weekend, including the Honda NHL Outdoors Sunday between the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins (14:00 ET; NBC, SN1, SN, TVAS) are played at 6,224 feet above sea level.
This is the second game at the highest point in NHL history behind the 2020 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series game at Falcon Stadium on the Air Force Academy campus in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The one between the Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings was played at an altitude of 6,621 feet.
Video: Listen to the sounds of the Lake Tahoe track
No one seems to care about any of the challenges.
‘We went through some traditional training early on and then played a little 3-on-3 to get the experience these guys would have on an outdoor track in the small towns they grew up in when you were just going out and about. played for hours on end, ”said DeBoer.
It should make for an unforgettable Saturday.
“There’s something to say just for our team and Vegas’ team to climb on this ice sheet right next to the lake,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “You stand on the ice and look straight at the lake. We’re right on the edge of it. It’s going to be quite the experience to be able to play tomorrow. Even without the fans, it’s going to be something special here that guys are going to be able to be to look back and say it was a wonderful experience for our team. ‘