A cool game on now on the NHL Network

I do like the NHL so maybe this seems especially cool to me, but the NHL Network is showing a cool exhibition game between Montreal and Buffalo from a rink that seats 1,200 (yes 1,200) in Roberville, Quebec.

For Canadian SJ, you can skip this, but it's part of a Hockeyville contest in which towns from across Canada bid to host this game. CBC does "shows" on each finalist town.

Anyway, they're playing in this little tiny rink that is just packed. It would be like a NBA exhibition game in some tiny town high school gym or a NFL exhibition at a high school.

The rink is just packed with people. They're standing behind the end boards. Not a seat in the place. There are apparently thousands in the parking lot watching on a big screen. I realize leagues play exhibitions in smaller buildings all the time, but this is extreme. This building is tiny by ECHL standards. Quite cool.

Anyway, it's 1-0 Habs after one.

 

ACC,
There's a nice bit about the game by Stu Hackel in the NYTimes hockey blog, Slapshot

http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/23/the-morning-skate-big-games-in-roberval-and-bern/#more-852

For those of you who don't know it Slapshot is one of the most comprehensive hockey blogs around: they update everything from junior hockey to the European and the KHL.

There's some good back and forth in the comments section between Stu & the readers.

There are a couple of other Times people including Lynn Zinser but Stu does most of the heavy lifting.

That and James Mirtle's blog are, in my opinion, the two best and most informative hockey blogs around, although Puck Daddy is pretty funny from time to time.

 

I like the series they've had on recently: Best (fill in your rivals here) Playoff Games.

Watched the Kings-Oilers series from the 90s last night. OUT-standing stuff that brought back good, good memories of fire-wagon, entertaining hockey.

 

Usually the NHL has a TV audience of less than 2,000.

 

Stanley Cup Finals in the U.S.: 3.2 per game.

Just saying.