Winter Classic Fun

Before I started dating my husband, I didn't know much about hockey.  In fact, the first hockey game I attended was on a date with him.  It was a St. Louis Blues game.  I don't remember who they played or whether they won.  I do remember that I wore boots with heels, which I later regretted because the stairs in the upper seats are steep and we had to walk a long way from the car. 

Fast forward 15 years...

I've been to more Blues hockey games than I can count.  Billy now plays hockey as a hobby.  My oldest son is learning to play hockey.  I got ice skates for Christmas, so now our entire family has ice skates.  My second son's newborn photos included a family photo of us in our Blue's gear. I also got to attend one of the biggest events in Blues history, the 2017 Winter Classic. 

Billy was beside himself with excitement, so the whole house was buzzing with anticipation the week between Christmas and New Years.  We had everything planned out, and the first event was the Alumni Game on New Years Eve.  It was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the low 50s.  It was pretty perfect weather as the spectator of an outdoor hockey game. 

When we got downtown, we could feel the excitement everywhere we went.  I had to remind myself a few times that this was just the alumni game...the real thing was still 2 days away.  I've never seen so much Blue in Busch stadium in my life.  It was amazing.  Even for an alumni game, the stadium was so packed you couldn't see much of the red seats peaking through the spectators. 

The game was a lot of fun.  It was amazing to see so many greats from the past play.  I mean, if I recognized the names and knew who they were, they must have been great!  The best part was that the Blues won.  Even though it was just for fun, that win just increased the excitement. 

Two days later, we woke up to pouring rain.  Billy had been watching the forecast all week hoping it would change, but the reality was, well, wet.  When we got to the stadium, the excitement in the air wasn't dampened by the weather.  Remarkably, the rink and surrounding decorations on the field were largely unaffected. 

By the time the game started, we were hunkered down in our ponchos staying as dry as we could.  I honestly don't know how the players played through the rain. As a spectator, you could hear how slushy the ice was as they skated from one end of the rink to the other.  But, the Blues victory made it all worth it in the end. 

One of the thing that made me most proud was that throughout the whole weekend they really focused on the youth hockey here in St. Louis.  Knowing that I have at least one son who wants to be part of that community, it was really cool to see that the focus wasn't just on the professional players.  There was a small rink right next to the big rink where kids got to play before the games and during intermissions.

After all of the fun at the games, Billy and I had an opportunity that next week to go skate on the ice at Busch Stadium before they took it down.  It was frigid but sunny the day we went.  It was really cool to see how they'd set it all up in a baseball stadium.  In fact, we had hot chocolate in the visitor's dugout!  The view from the ice was amazing even if it was freezing.  It wasn't a bad way to break in my new skates!

In my 15 years as a Blues fan, I can honestly say that the Winter Classic was the coolest hockey experience I've had.  Admittedly, I didn't understand the allure of this cold and grueling sport when I first started watching it (if you couldn't figure that out by my choice of footwear at my first game).  But I get it now.  I get the thrill and the excitement.  But, more than that, I get the community that I've become a part of.  That is the community of St. Louis hockey fans.