Sharks and Kings to Meet in NHL Outdoor Game
The Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks rivalry will now be taken outdoors. Last week the NHL announced that the two Pacific division rivals will meet at the new stadium of the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, California on February 21.
The new Levi’s Stadium was chosen over AT&T Park home of the San Francisco Giants. This will be the second consecutive season the NHL has held an outdoor game in the state of California.
Last season, the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Kings at Dodgers Stadium 3-0 before a crowd of 54,100 on January 25.
John Tortora the COO for San Jose expects at least 68,500 to attend the game in February.
Tortora said he believes the game will be one of the biggest sporting events to be ever held in the Bay Area.
The game will be first outdoor NHL game held in Northern California and will be fan pleasing with two rivals facing off.
The Kings knocked the Sharks out of the NHL playoffs this past season in the first round. The Kings become just the fourth team in NHL history to come back from a deficit of 3-0 to win a seven-game series 4-3.
Los Angeles went on to be crowned S
tanley Cup champions for the second time in the past three years.
Over the past decade, the NHL has showcased its sport in outdoor venues in different regions of the country.
Stadiums where the NHL has staged its outdoor games include Yankee Stadium in New York City, Fenway Park in Boston, Wrigley Field in Chicago and Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
Previously, the NHL announced that the Chicago Blackhawks would visit the Washington Capitals on January 1 in the 2015 Winter Classic at a site yet to be determined.
San Jose will be the NHL’s 14th team to host a game outdoors since 2003. In the previous 13 games, the NHL has averaged more than 56,940 fans for each.
Don Renzulli the Senior Vice President of the NHL for Events said the outdoor matchups allow the NHL to have flyovers and create a festive atmosphere that is not as easily accomplished in the confines of a smaller arena that is enclosed.
The Sharks organization has wanted to host a game outdoors, said Renzulli. Last summer the league started having discussions with the Sharks to determine a place and time to hold an outdoor game.
However, before making a final decision, the league wanted to see the game held at Dodger Stadium between the Kings and Ducks.
That game was played in 63-degree temperatures, but the concerns with ice conditions were unfounded as the game went off without a hitch.
The NHL gave up better backdrops at AT&T Park of the skyline and Bay Bridge in San Francisco for the 49ers new stadium since football stadiums tend to offer more flexibility on rink configuration, better sightlines and the possibility of a larger crowd.
The average ticket price will be $150 for the game with more than two thirds of the tickets less than that price.
