His previous experience playing outdoors came as a member of the Avalanche on February 27th, 2016 when they hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Coors Field.
"The Stadium Series was a cool experience but I think I would have definitely liked it to be a little colder because it was really warm out and the ice wasn't great," Duchene recalled. "They even had to use artificial snow on the ground so to have the opportunity to play in what I would consider an actual outdoor game in the snow and in a winter atmosphere is amazing."
Duchene was raised just a few hours from Ottawa so he's no stranger to what winter in the Nation's Capital feels like but does admit that his time spent playing professionally down south may have spoiled him a bit.
"I grew up in a very similar climate as we have here in Ottawa and it was something that I loved as a kid," said the Haliburton, Ontario native. "I've gotten a little soft living in Denver with how nice the weather is down there but I really enjoy the winter and the roots of our game which is playing outdoors."
Like a lot of Canadians, Duchene honed his craft outside on a 40 x 20 frozen sheet of ice his father would tend to during the winter months.
"I helped him as best as I could but my dad always built a rink for me in our driveway," reminisced Duchene. "It wasn't huge but the perfect size to develop your stickhandling and shooting and just to enjoy playing outside."
"I was on that thing all the time."
Fast forward 15-20 years and Duchene, along with the Senators, have a date set with the Montreal Canadiens at a converted field at Lansdowne on December 16th. A game that for many will act as the culmination of some historic events such as Canada 150 and the NHL's 100th.
"Coming from a very American market back to my home province and getting to play for a team that I grew up watching on Hockey Night in Canada has been incredible," Duchene said of the November 5th blockbuster trade that brought him to the Senators. "Now getting to play against the Canadiens, which is probably the most historic franchise in hockey, it's a very cool opportunity. I'm a patriotic guy and I'm proud to be Canadian so this game just embodies everything that Canada's about."
For more details on the NHL 100 Classic,
click here
.
