Dec 31, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; A general view of the rink before the Alumni Showdown between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of the Winter Classic at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
If you were planning on ignoring tomorrow’s outdoor game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks that is scheduled to take place at Dodger Stadium, think again, it might have an indirect affect on the San Jose Sharks.
According to David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News, John Tortora, the Sharks’ COO, has pitched the idea of hosting an outdoor game in the Bay Area to Gary Bettman. Apparently he liked the idea but made sure that Tortora knew that it would heavily depend on how the Coors Light Stadium Series in Los Angeles played out. Tortora explained to Pollak how tomorrow’s game could affect the Sharks’ potential for an outdoor game:
"One, Los Angeles has to be successful from a weather standpoint because while Northern California is about 10 degrees cooler on average, it’s still a warm weather climate. Two, the league has to make a decision whether they want to continue with the stadium series next year or the year after."
If the venue of one of the outdoor games is indeed set for the Bay Area next year, there would be many options for stadiums. Ones that immediately come to mind are the San Francisco Giant’s AT&T Park, the 49ers’ Levi Stadium, or one of the universities that are in and around the Bay Area. Levi Stadium seems out of the question because if the 49ers go as far as they did into the playoffs this year then an outdoor game would be impossible due to the 2-3 week preparation time needed for the ice.
This year marks the first time that an outdoor game has been played on the West Coast and weather conditions are in the front of everyone’s minds. Currently, Weather.com is predicting a high of 75˚F at Dodger Stadium tomorrow. Follow this game, Sharks fans, because an outdoor game in the Bay Area would be awesome! Pray to the weather gods for a cold day in Southern California and the hockey gods for a Kings loss.