2020 NHL Stadium Series Pregame Notes

The Avalanche will be making their second appearance in an NHL outdoor regular-season contest; their prior game was in the 2016 NHL Stadium Series at Coors Field in Denver. The Red Wings topped the Avalanche 5-3, with Red Wings forward Brad Richards tallying the game-winning goal with one minute remaining in regulation. The game-time temperature of 65°F/18°C at Coors Field remains the warmest for an NHL outdoor regular-season game, eclipsing the 62°F/17°C when the puck dropped for the 2014Stadium Series game between the Kings and Ducks at Dodger Stadium.
This marks the Kings' third NHL outdoor regular-season game, following Stadium Series appearances in 2014 and 2015, both in the state of California.

Led by 36 saves from Jonas Hiller, the Ducks defeated the Kings 3-0 in front of a sold-out crowd at Dodger Stadium in the 2014 NHL Stadium Series. Hiller also stopped the second penalty shot in outdoor game history when he denied Kings forward Anze Kopitar at 9:46 of the first period.
The following year, Marian Gaborik snapped a 1-1 deadlock at 4:04 of the third period to power the Kings past the Sharks 2-1 in the 2015 Stadium Series at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. Jonathan Quickstopped 31-of-32 shots, including all 22 he faced over the final two periods, to earn his 200th NHL win for the Kings. The sellout crowd of 70,205 at Levi's Stadium marked, at the time, the third-highest attendance in NHL history.
Nine players on the current Avalanche roster have played in an NHL outdoor regular-season game, plus goaltender Philipp Grubauer, who dressed but did not play in the Capitals' 5-2 win over Toronto in the 2018 Stadium Series game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. Three Avalanche players remain from the 2016 team that played at Coors Field -- Erik Johnson, Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon -- while Matt Nieto previously faced the Kings outdoors as a member of the Sharks in 2015 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
Eight players on the Kings' roster, plus head coach Todd McLellan, have NHL outdoor regular-season experience. Six of the eight have played in both prior games for Los Angeles: Dustin Brown, Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, Trevor Lewis and Jonathan Quick. McLellan will be coaching in his third outdoor game with his third team, following appearances in 2015 with the Sharks (vs. LAK) and in 2016 with the Oilers (at WPG).

PLAYOFF HISTORY

The Avalanche and Kings are both two-time Stanley Cup champions (COL 1996 and 2001; LAK, 2012 and 2014). The teams have faced off twice in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with Colorado winning closely-contested, seven-games in consecutive years, 2001 (Conference Semifinals) and 2002 (Conference Quarterfinals). The Avalanche used the 2001 second-round triumph over the Kings as a springboard to the franchise's second Stanley Cup later that spring.

FIRST MEETING OF 2019-20

The Avalanche and Kings will be meeting for the first time in the 2019-20 season when they take to the ice for the Stadium Series. The Avalanche earned points in each of the three games last season, posting a 2-0-1 record (LAK: 1-2-0).
The two franchises have met 134 times in the regular-season, with Los Angeles holding a 25-point edge over Colorado/Quebec since the 1979-1980 season (Colorado/Quebec 56-63-15-127, Los Angeles 70-52-12-152).
The teams will meet twice more this season, on Feb. 22 in Los Angeles and on March 9 in Denver.

OUTDOOR GAME NOTES AND TRENDS

* There have been 29 total regular-season outdoor NHL games to date: 12 Winter Classics, 10 Stadium Series, five Heritage Classics, one Centennial Classic and one NHL100 Classic.
* The 2020 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series marks the second time the NHL has brought the NHL Stadium Series to a U.S. Service Academy following the Washington-Toronto matchup at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md., in 2018.
* The NHL 29 regular-season outdoor games have drawn total attendance of 1,578,507 - an average of 54,431 per game. NHL outdoor attendance surpassed the 1.5-million mark at the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic between the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators at Cotton Bowl Stadium on Jan. 1, 2020.
* Eighteen outdoor games have taken place at football venues, 10 have been hosted by baseball parks and one has been staged in a soccer stadium.
* A total of 811 skaters, goaltenders and head coaches have participated in the NHL's 29 regular-season outdoor games to date.
* Road teams are 16-9-4 in the League's 29 outdoor games to date. Home teams are 13-13-3 overall, but 8-1-1 in the last 10.
* Fifteen of the League's 29 outdoor games have featured a comeback win (52%), including each of the last four (Stars: 2020 WC vs. NSH, Jets: 2019 HC vs. CGY, Flyers: 2019 SS vs. PIT, Bruins: 2019 WC vs. CHI).
* Seven of the NHL's 29 outdoor games have required overtime, with five decided in the 5-minute extra session and two determined in a shootout.
* Teams that score first are 15-9-5 in the NHL's 29 outdoor games, including a 10-3-3 record in the last 16 such contests.

WINTER CLASSIC LEGACY INITIATIVE

The NHL, Colorado Avalanche, USA Hockey and Athletica Sport Systems announced a revolutionary on-ice sled bench prototype as a legacy of the 2020 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series. The Legacy initiative investment includes the creation of the first-ever, on-ice player bench designed by Athletica Sport Systems to accommodate sled players of all levels - one that all partners believe will revolutionize the sled hockey environment in terms of safety and accessibility during game play. This prototype will be left behind along with a donation of new sleds and sticks in an effort to welcome newcomers to the sport. For the first time, sleds will be available for rent at the Sertich Ice Center for all members of the community. Colorado Springs Tigers Hockey will also receive 10 new sleds and sticks to bolster local programming.

DID YOU KNOW?

* The Stadium Series has featured 10 games. The series launched in January 2014 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles with the League's first regular-season outdoor game played in California (Kings vs. Ducks). It also has showcased the first two hockey games ever played at Yankee Stadium in New York and had each of Pennsylvania's intrastate rivals play host to the other, with the Flyers visiting Pittsburgh's Heinz Field in 2017 and Penguins traveling to Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field in 2019.
* The first regular-season outdoor NHL game took place on Nov. 22, 2003, at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. A sellout crowd of 57,167 braved extreme cold as the visiting Montreal Canadiens defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-3.
* The 2003 Oilers-Canadiens clash rates as the coldest regular-season outdoor NHL game. The temperature at puck drop was 0°F/-18°C, with severe wind chill.
* According to
accuweather.com
, the average high temperature for U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., on Feb. 15 is 42.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
* A total of 33 skaters have competed for both the Avalanche/Nordiques and Kings in the regular season. No goaltenders have played for both franchises and one head coach has served behind both benches (Marc Crawford). Of the 33 skaters, only three have appeared in at least 200 games with each franchise: defenseman Rob Blake (322 w/ COL, 805 w/ LAK), defenseman Aaron Miller (311 w/ COL, 309 w/ LAK) and right wing Ian Laperriere (307 w/ COL, 595 w/ LAK).
* A team participating in an NHL regular-season outdoor game has advanced to the Stanley Cup Final later that season in each of the past three years. The Penguins defeated the Flyers 4-2 in the 2017 Stadium Series game at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh and less than four months later captured their second consecutive Stanley Cup. The Capitals defeated the Maple Leafs 5-2 in the 2018 Stadium Series game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md., and went on to win the first title in franchise history. The Bruins skated past the Blackhawks 4-2 in the 2019 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Notre Dame Stadium before falling to the Blues in Game 7 of the Final.
* The United States Air Force Academy was established April 1, 1954 and a special commission recommended Colorado Springs as its location from among hundreds of sites. Construction on the Academy began in 1955 and the first class of 306 was sworn-in at a temporary site, Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, on July 11, 1955.
* The 2020 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Falcon Stadium will be played at 6,621 feet above sea level, a record for an NHL regular-season outdoor game. The figure surpasses the 5,200-foot elevation of Coors Field in Denver, home to a 2016 Stadium Series game between the Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings.
* Falcon Stadium was built in a natural bowl in the foothills of the Rampart Range of the Rocky Mountains. The stadium opened on Sept. 22, 1962, when an overflow crowd of 41,350 saw Air Force defeat Colorado State, 24-0.
* Vic Heyliger, a former NHL player with the Chicago Blackhawks, was hired to coach the Air Force hockey club team in 1966 and then make the transition to Division I for the 1968-69 season. Heyliger started the Academy program after leading the University of Michigan to six national championships in 13 years.

AVALANCHE MILESTONES: MacKINNON & MAKAR

* Nathan MacKinnon (32-48-80 in 56 GP) notched two points vs. Washington Thursday to become the fifth player in franchise history to reach the 80-point mark within his first 56 games of a season. He joinedJoe Sakic as just the second player to do so in an Avalanche uniform.
* MacKinnon enters his second career outdoor game with an active six-game point streak (2-6-8) and multiple points in each of his last two contests. He has been held off the score sheet only 10 times in 56 games this season, going consecutive games without a point only once (Nov. 2 at ARI & Nov. 5 at DAL).
* Cale Makar (12-30-42 in 48 GP) already holds the franchise records for goals and points by a rookie defenseman in a single season. He needs one assist to match the club record for assists in one season by a rookie blueliner - Bruce Bell had 31 in 1984-85 when the club was based in Quebec.

KINGS MILESTONES: DOUGHTY & QUICK

* Drew Doughty (116-379-495) recently passed current Kings general manager - and former Avalanche defenseman - Rob Blake for the most regular-season points by a defenseman in franchise history. Blake also ranks fifth in career points among Avalanche/Nordiques defensemen. Doughty sits five points shy of becoming the 25th defenseman in NHL history to accumulate 500 career points for a single franchise.
* Jonathan Quick is one of 13 goaltenders to start in multiple regular-season outdoor games, with only three netminders having more such starts (Henrik Lundqvist: 4; Corey Crawford: 4; and Ty Conklin: 3). Quick (1-1-0 outdoors) can become the fifth goaltender with multiple regular-season wins in outdoor games (Lundqvist: 4-0-0, Braden Holtby: 2-0-0, Craig Anderson: 2-0-0 and Conklin: 2-1-0).
* Quick holds a career record of 17-6-1 in 25 games against the Avalanche, tied for his highest win total against an opponent from a different division (also 17-12-3 in 32 GP vs. DAL). Overall, he has more than 17 career regular season wins against only four clubs (EDM: 23, ANA: 22, ARI: 19, VAN: 18).

STADIUM SERIES UNIFORMS

Colorado Avalanche
The
Avalanche's Stadium Series jersey
draws inspiration from the Mile High State and elevates the design to new heights by looking to the Air Force Academy's Cadet Chapel and Colorado's blue skies, eminent landscape and renowned landmarks. Specially designed for viewing in a stadium setting, the jerseys are accented with larger-than-life cresting and striping.
Los Angeles Kings
The
Kings' Stadium Series jersey
features a sleek, futuristic design, which pulls inspiration from the Air Force Academy's angular architecture and aircraft. A new L.A. crest takes flight on diagonal bisected blocking, inspired by aircraft battle stripes, and a checkerboard design graphic is implemented along the neckline.

STADIUM SERIES FESTIVITIES

The 2020 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series will honor the armed forces and celebrate the contributions of USA Hockey. More than 1,000 Air Force cadets, four F35 Lightening II jets, three F-16 Fighting Falcon jets, one KC-10 tanker aircraft, parachute members from the Air Force's Wings of Blue, and members of the Air Force Academy's drum & bugle corps, acapella group, honor guard and spirit team will take part.
The NHL's transformation of Falcon Stadium for the NHL Stadium Series features the first ever F16 Thunderbird aircraft sitting atop a simulated airfield, runways adorned with working lights, a helipad serving as the musical stage, and landing zones for parachute jumpers. The more than 1,000 cadets taking part in the pregame and intermission festivities will be seated in chairs on the field, making this the first-ever NHL outdoor game to have spectators on the playing field.
The pregame festivities will begin with the on-field arrival of the Avalanche and Kings. In keeping with the Air Force Academy's game day tradition of the Falcon Walk, the Avalanche will be greeted by cadets, drum & bugle corps, spirit team and "The Bird" Mascot outside the stadium. Formal player introductions will conclude with a flyover featuring three F-16s from the 140th Fighter Wing, Buckley AFB, Colo., and one KC-10 from the 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.
The anthem ceremony will begin with a performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" by the U.S. Air Force Academy's premier, all-male a Capella group, "In the Stairwell," led by soloist 2nd Lt. Ben Hightower, and will feature the cadet honor guard's presentation of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. flags. Cadets will line the field for the national anthem. Members of the USAF Academy's Wings of Blue parachute team, outfitted in illuminated suits, will deliver the game puck.
Gen. John W. "Jay" Raymond, the first commander of U. S. Space Command, and Lt. Gen. Jay B. Silveria, the 20th Superintendent of the U. S. Air Force Academy, will take part in the ceremonial puck drop.
USA Hockey's long history of excellence, growth and inclusiveness will be showcased during the second intermission with members of the eight gold-medal U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sled hockey teams spanning 60 years taking part in a special salute to the national governing body. Bill Cleary (1960 Men's), Guy Gosselin (2018 Paralympic Sled), Nicole Hensley (2018 Women's), Taylor Lipsett (2010 & 2014 Paralympic Sled), A.J. Mleczko Griswold (1998 Women's), Buzz Schneider (1980 Men's), Kip St. Germaine (2002 Paralympic Sled) and Andy Yohe (2010 Paralympic Sled) will be joined by more than 30 local youth hockey players for the tribute, followed by a performance of "America the Beautiful" by USAFA's "In the Stairwell."
* * *
Multi-platinum-selling hitmaker Sam Hunt will headline the musical entertainment for the 2020 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series. Hunt's GRAMMY-nominated, triple-platinum-selling debut album, Montevallo (MCA Nashville), which topped the Billboard Country Albums Chart in its first week, remains the best-selling debut album for a country artist since 2011. Montevallo produced four No. 1 singles and five platinum and multi-platinum-selling hits. Since the album's 2014 release, Hunt has accumulated over 6.85 billion global streams.
The performance, presented by Ticketmaster, will take place during the first intermission and will be televised at 8 p.m. ET on NBC in the U.S. and on SN360 and TVAS2 in Canada.