Vancouver Canucks

I propose that the National Hockey League, the Canucks and an investor or two in Vancouver/Whistler to bring an outdoor game where it belongs. North of the border again. Hell, just put one where snow doesn’t require hundreds of thousands of fingers crossed all at once in a Wiccan ceremony of hope, temperature and precipitation.

Build a new temporary facility in Whistler (I will be examining township plans/maps further) and bring the game to where many of the games of the Winter Olympiad in 2010 will be held. Is this crazy? I really do not think so. But doing so would be up to the NHL. I would really like to see Quebec City recognize the fact that while they have lost their franchise, the opportunity to host one of these games should be looked at as well. Heck, they have an ice hotel!

I was reading through my notes of the last outdoor game, in which I was figuratively riveted to my TV set and the awe of the circumstances, novelty and spirited play of many of the players, was something to behold indeed. Sidney Crosby’s winner, the snow swirling-boy, it was a wonderful spectacle! As a fan of hockey in generality and to my core, I hope that the NHL gets to eat it’s pie with the newest installment being planned amidst the ‘bleacher creatures’ and ivy of Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Do not get me wrong, the facts that the Red Wings will take on the Blackhawks in Wrigley Field at 1 pm in Chicago on New Year’s Day makes for great TV and is geared towards American growth. I love the idea of the Original Six clash. I just think that one of these games is going to collapse under pressures under no one’s control. The weather.

The game last year in Buffalo was great, but teetered on the disasterous side. This is not ‘fixable’ with some delay- like a shot or big bodycheck dislodging a piece of rink glass from the stanchion. If the weather does not cooperate, then a spectacle such as this suffers greatly. Gameplay cannot possibly be comprimised.

The Farmer’s Almanac at http://www.almanac.com/weatherhistory/ is a site that I use for some of my weather needs and information and so I got using some of its applications. I plugged in the past January 1st for Chicago, IL and examined the results. I did the same for Whistler, British Columbia. (The past three dates in 2007 and 2006) were even a worse result for Chicago, I will update it later and show you…yikes!). Here are the results in a nutshell:

RESULT= While Chicago and the NHL will go forward with this, this final result for the ‘Windy’ City was slightly favourable and may very well be the first game that can blow up for the NHL. Whistler would be a chilled and scenic setting. Quebec City could prove the BEST site of the three without much worry.

* the wind results are the maximum sustainable force.
—–updated!!!—–
Using the fabulous ‘Google Earth’ software this morning and have seen a number of good large tracts of land in the vicinity of the Colisee Pepsi where the Quebec Remparts now play in the QMJHL. This includes a really nice oval site that is directly adjacent to the Colisee, to the south-west. Seems tailor built-though I have no idea who actually owns the land. It is an idea perhaps. So, that said, I will update the temperature indexes/comparisions between the three:

January 1st, 2006
—————–
Chicago, IL +1.3 deg.C average (+0.3 - +4 deg.C) and 16.9 mph winds, no precip.
Whistler, BC +0.8 deg.C average (0 - +1 deg.C) and 4.1 mph winds
Quebec, PC -11.3 deg.C avg. (-14 - -9 deg.C) and 14 mph winds + 15.7 ml of snow

January 1st, 2007
—————-
Chicago, IL +4.2 deg.C average (+1.4 - +8 deg.C) and 26 mph winds
Whistler, BC +0.7 deg.C average (0 - 1 deg.C) and 5.1 mph winds
Quebec, PC -5.3 deg.C average (-11 - 0 deg.C) and 12 mph winds + 3.9 ml snow/rain

January 1st, 2008
—————–
Chicago, IL +4.3 deg.C average (-7.5 - +0.4 deg.C) and 27 mph winds
Whistler, BC +0.8 deg.C average (-5 - +0.4 deg.C) and 8.9 mph winds
Quebec, PC -7.4 deg.C average (-10 - -5 deg.C) and 15 mph winds + 10 ml of snow