Matty Beniers’ view from the cheap seats is about to improve.
Beniers was one of the 67,246 in attendance at the 2016 Winter Classic between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. The temperature at opening faceoff was a balmy 40 degrees.
“It was freezing cold, but I don’t think we’ll have that problem in Seattle,” Beniers said.
He thought it would be a fun event to play in one day, and he’ll get that chance eight years later. The Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights are set to play Jan. 1, 2024, on a rink erected at T-Mobile Park.
It’s set to be the 39th outdoor game staged by the NHL and the 12th in a baseball stadium. Only the Arizona Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets and Florida Panthers have yet to appear in one. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks have seen six each.
Seattle may seem like an odd choice for an outdoor game, but bad weather isn’t as concerning as it once was, when the snowy first Winter Classic ended in a shootout Jan. 1, 2008, at Ralph Wilson Stadium near Buffalo, New York. The last experiment in the Pacific Northwest had its hiccups, but lessons were learned. The 2014 Heritage Classic — an outdoor game staged in Canadian cities — in Vancouver had to be closed to the elements via retractable roof due to weather concerns. A plan to build the rink at T-Mobile Park in such a way that it can be partially covered by the retractable roof was referenced Monday after the game was announced.
Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak took part in the warmest Winter Classic to that point, the 2020 game on a cloudy 55-degree day in Dallas. The sold-out event was widely considered a success.
“That was a unique experience. Who would have thought, an outdoor game in Dallas?” Oleksiak said. “It was fantastic. They know what they’re doing at this point, and we have full confidence in them. I’m excited to see what they come up with.”
Part of setting up games at the mercy of the elements is rolling with whatever they dish out. During a 2018 Stadium Series game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, there was a 15-minute, third-period power outage. Philipp Grubauer, Andre Burakovsky and the Washington Capitals went on to win 5-2 once it was sorted out.
Grubauer has taken part in an outdoor game during just about every stop in his North American career, including two in Colorado with current teammates Burakovsky and Joonas Donskoi. A game between Grubauer’s Colorado Avalanche and the Golden Knights in front of a stunning Lake Tahoe backdrop — the goaltender’s favorite outdoor game he’s taken part in — was unexpectedly sunny, which affected the ice quality. It had to be postponed until after dark, resuming around 9 p.m.
The glare was so bright during warmups, Grubauer said he felt like he was staring directly into the sun. After trying to shield his eyes with his arm, he went to the bench and asked to borrow a trainer’s sunglasses, which he wore under his mask.
“Maybe not the safest,” he said. “I was pretty lucky I didn’t get too many shots in the first period.”
Adam Larsson and Jordan Eberle were in an outdoor game together with the Edmonton Oilers, while Brandon Tanev suited up for the other side. Justin Schultz and the Penguins were frequent invitees. Kraken forward Eeli Tolvanen took part in one just last season.
As far as widespread experience under the open sky, Grubauer is especially blessed.
“Once you’re on the ice, it’s all about business. But, also, you can soak in what’s around you,” Grubauer said. “It’s how the game originated.”
This will be Beniers’ first chance to play outdoors in an organized setting, though he grew up playing on a pond in his backyard with siblings and neighbors.
“That was my one way of getting out of power skating,” he said, adding he’d assure his dad he would put in work on the pond instead.
The Beniers siblings made good use of it. Older brother Bobby played at Williams College (Div. III) in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Big sister Gianna played in high school, Matty said, but was more focused on competitive figure skating.
The pond beckoned when Matty made a quick trip home for Christmas, but he didn’t bring his skates.
Grubauer got the very occasional chance to play a beer-league game with his dad on a rink without a roof in his native Germany. Other than that, he was also messing around on a frozen lake.
Every experience has been special and unique.
“I’m a huge baseball fan, so playing at T-Mobile is going to be absolutely incredible,” he said.
“It comes once a year for those two teams. We’re so lucky.”