NHL Network, UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex combine for Skating/Watch Party
By
Jeff Carpenter @penguins / Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins appeared in the first Winter Classic on Jan. 1, 2008, defeating the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in a shootout at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo a decade ago.
On Saturday night, NHL Network and the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex teamed up to host a public skating and watch party in Cranberry for the network's new documentary on the first Winter Classic as part of the ten-year anniversary, titled NHL Network Originals: The First NHL Winter Classic, Hockey Goes Outside.
After the pre-screening of the documentary aired, fans stuck around to watch the first period of the Penguins' road contest against Arizona.
"We all said it was like sitting in a snow globe, it was awesome," said Cranberry native Sally Buchele, a season ticket holder who attended the game. "The Buffalo people couldn't have been any nicer. It was a phenomenal experience."
The first Winter Classic was a game unlike all the others written into the schedule, inspired by the roots of the sport. It was an event that players were extremely excited to play in and fans were extremely excited to attend - and set the precedent for 21 more NHL outdoor games over the next decade
The Penguins took part in the 2011 Winter Classic against the Washington Capitals at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh also starred in a pair of outdoor Stadium Series games, against the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers in 2014 and 2017, respectively. The Penguins are set to meet the Flyers again outdoors, on Feb. 23, 2019 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
But it all began on Jan. 1, 2008 in Buffalo.
"When I first heard the Penguins were playing outdoors back in 2008, I immediately went out and got tickets," said Jason Pitkins of Mars.
"It was probably the best experience of an outdoor game there could be."
A healthy amount of black and gold descended upon UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex for the pre-screening of the documentary of the first Winter Classic that the Penguins emerged victorious in. The event was open for free to the public, and many attendees took part in skating on the ice throughout the airing of the documentary and the Penguins' road contest.
A lot of skaters embarked on several laps before positioning themselves along the boards to take in the special viewing on the projector, with snowflakes and other light effects decorating the ice. Numerous fans decided to take a seat in the bleachers to watch the broadcasted film.
The documentary is narrated by Pittsburgh native Michael Keaton. The film shows an in-depth look behind the scenes of the snowy affair in 2008 and how it came to be
The documentary features interviews with Sidney Crosby, Colby Armstrong, Tyler Kennedy, coach Michel Therrien, commissioner Gary Bettman, Buffalo Sabres' personalities, NBC broadcasters Mike "Doc" Emrick and Bob Costas and more.
"From what I saw of the documentary, I got goosebumps," Pitkins said. "It was a great experience. The atmosphere and the weather, it was great."
Beyond special screenings in Pittsburgh and Buffalo, the documentary will air publicly for the first time on NHL Network on December 20 at 8 p.m.
After the pre-screening, many Penguins fans stayed to cheer on the Penguins against the Coyotes on the large pull-down projector. With the documentary taking them a decade down memory lane and the Penguins' game being broadcasted on the road in Arizona, the viewing led to many fans having a special night at home in Pittsburgh.
"It brought back wonderful memories," Buchele said. "This was a really neat thing for the NHL Network, the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex and the Penguins to do. It was fun."
