A battle between the LA Kings and Anaheim Ducks, LA vs OC, the battle for Southern California under the lights of Dodger Stadium will be a spectacle that will change hockey in the Golden State forever.
Next Saturday, the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series will kickoff at Dodger Stadium, with likely the most unique, enticing and overall exciting game of the Series.
From the land of surf and sand, The NHL-leading Anaheim Ducks and their bitter rivals the Los Angeles Kings will get it on at Dodger Stadium at 6:30PM PCT on January 25, on the NBC Sports Network with bragging rights and playoff implications at stake.
With both teams among the elite in the Western Conference and the natural drawing power of Los Angeles from a National perspective, combined with the additional amenities only the masterminds of Hollywood could cook-up, this is going to be quite a show for all to see.
I mean come on, a concert stage for numbers between periods? A street hockey court? Beach volleyball? A pond!?
This sounds like a late 1990’s beach party before the Summer X-Games.
But man does it sound awesome.
This event will not only include the fans that will pack the most hallowed sports ground in all of Los Angeles, this also includes all the fans in Southern California being able to take this event all in with watch parties, gatherings at houses, sports bars and restaurants anticipating large crowds at their establishments.
But most importantly, the executives of the NHL along with Commissioner Gary Bettman are looking pretty smart. When the game was announced by the NHL, it was deemed a fairly large risk in what was still a luke-warm market in Anaheim post-Stanley Cup from a ticket sales and local television ratings standpoint.
A season like this is what hockey fans in California dreamed of. All three teams in the Golden State dominating the NHL with an iron fist with each team bringing a different flavor in their successes. (Ask poor Vancouver who is 1-10 against the “California Triangle” this year.)
The Ducks (36-9-5 77PTS) are the alpha dog of the NHL, displaying their dominance once-again at the Honda Center with a 9-1 thrashing of the Vancouver Canucks Wednesday. Anaheim is the first team since the 1967-1968 Montreal Canadiens to win 18-out-of-19 games at any point in a season (Before their 4-2 loss against Chicago Friday). Along with being 20-0-2 at home, they are the hottest attraction in the west coast.
The Kings (29-14-5 63PTS) have been rather strong themselves but in a different way. With the return of star goaltender Jonathan Quick with rookie sensation Martin Jones backing him, the Kings boast one of the top goaltending tandems and bruising defenses in the NHL.
So this game provides great contrast with the explosive Anaheim offense and the gritty Kings defense with star power aplenty for next Saturday.
But it won’t just provide star power on the ice. Legendary figures such as Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully and Kings legend Wayne Gretzky (a.k.a “The Great One”) will be featured along with musical performances from KISS, Jordin Sparks, John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting and the USC Trojan Marching Band.
Now a lot of traditionalist hockey fans have commented on numerous articles posted on the NHL’s website about how this game is a mere sideshow and it’s “embarrassing” to the league. Some people question why the NHL did this at all?
It’s simple, the NHL needed to do this. Games like this generate news. It garners attention. And most importantly, it allows the NHL the opportunity to expand the game’s outreach to people who would simply dismiss the idea of watching had it been played in a normal arena.
Why wouldn’t you attempt to expand the game in the highest-populated state in country by a fairly wide margin?
Contrary to what hockey purists think, this game will definitely be worth watching for the amount of attractions, uniqueness and of course the bitter rivalry between two of the NHL’s elite clubs under the lights of historic Dodger Stadium.
Buckle up SoCal, the sport of hockey will never be the same after next Saturday.
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