Hell freezes over in the capital clash between Ottawa and Montreal
I know we don't usually cover hockey or sports on these pages at National Observer. But sometimes there are events that we just can't miss.
Last weekend's outdoor game between the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Canadiens, marking the 100th anniversary of the first ever game in the National Hockey League, was one of those nights. It made for great visuals, and well, hockey in bone-chilling temperatures IS national affairs in Canada, eh?
Photo essay by Alex Tétreault
The festivities were hosted at Lansdowne Park, near the core of downtown Ottawa. The usual Senators home is actually a 30-minute drive away at the Canadian Tire Centre, which is in the western suburb of Kanata.
The game came exactly 100 years after the very first NHL game, between the same two teams, on December 19, 1917. It was also branded as part of Ottawa's festivities for Canada's 150th anniversary.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a longtime Habs fan, was among more than 34,000 spectators along with his son Xavier. They greeted both teams as they headed onto the ice.
It was so cold that spilled beer would freeze within seconds, with hand and feet warmers in short supply. You could almost say that hell was freezing over.
But fans from both teams braved temperatures of -11 degrees Celsius, dropping below -20 with the windchill, to watch the Senators beat the Canadiens 3-0.
This victory came exactly 100 years after the Habs defeated the Senators 7-4, backed by the goaltending of the legendary Georges Vézina and five goals by Joe Malone in the league's first ever game.
The Trudeau government set aside millions of dollars to build a controversial rink on Parliament's front lawn, to coincide with the Centennial Classic. The Parliament Hill rink was used for many activities leading up to the game and is open for public skating, but it was not used for the NHL game itself.
On Saturday, the fans were treated to fireworks and a passing CF-18 flyby, as well as a halftime show (well, two-thirds show, really) by an aging Canadian rock star and some special appearances from NHL legends of the past.
Here is the story in images.
Festivities leading up to the game
The Stanley Cup, the iconic trophy named after a former Canadian governor general, was on Parliament Hill last Friday for a couple of hours. They had it inside in a display trailer. But this photojournalist managed to get a sneak peak after convincing NHL officials to bring it outside for a quick, worthwhile photo-op.
As part of festivities for the NHL Centennial game and Canada's 150th anniversary, a 5.6 million dollar rink was built on Parliament Hill's front lawn.
Throughout the week, some activities have been held with varying degrees of relation to the NHL100 game, such as the Red-White Alumni game on Friday evening.
A few hours before the centennial game on Saturday, the Little Sens had a practice skate on the Hill, in front of Parliament, under the tutelage of two former Sens players, Pascal Leclaire and Chris Phillips.
They were followed right after by tryouts for the girls Team Ontario held by the Aboriginal Sport and Wellness Council of Ontario.
Pre Game Events
Ottawa is a city that appears to have healthy amounts of fans of Montreal and Ottawa, and perhaps even Toronto. So wasn't unusual to see the colours of both Montreal and Ottawa jerseys at game time.
Although some of the Senator fans may have been in a bad mood since their team's owner, Eugene Melnyk, had just made headlines for musing about moving his team to another city, due to low attendance.
Pre-Game Show
Fireworks and celebrity guests were a key part of the pregame and intermission shows.
Game Action
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price stops a shot from the Ottawa Senators. It was not enough, however, as the Habs still lost the game, 3-0. Price stood on his head for most of the game (not literally) and was still named the 3rd star of the game.
Commemorations
Montreal Canadiens, old and new, with pyrotechnics getting ready for the national anthem.
All about the fans
34 000 happy, cold, fans at Lansdowne Park, but the atmosphere was getting warmer as the game went on.
Halftime show with Brian Adams
Well, two-thirds show, really, (during the second intermission) and more fireworks to warm up the place.
End Game
The Ottawa Senators' have a quick celebration after the empty net goal by Nate Thompson, sealing the game.
