Cranbrook & CC “Warm-up” for the 2010 Outdoor Classic
Posted by Administrator (admin) on Jan 03 2010
News >> outdoor_class

On the heels of the NHL Winter Classic on New Year’s Day, the varsity hockey teams from Detroit Catholic Central and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood took to the ice at Clark Park in the shadows of the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit last Saturday.  While it provided each team with an opportunity to get acclimated to the outdoor facility and the nuances of the ice surface, the weather – 12 degrees and windy – did not allow for much “warm-up”.

Both teams skated for about 1 ½ hours and both squads seemed to enjoy the surroundings as they moved briskly through their drills and scrimmages.  “The guys seemed to enjoy it and for some it was the first time they played at an outdoor arena,” said Todd Johnson, CC Head Coach.  CK Head coach, Andy Weidenbach piped in, “I think they would have skated a lot longer if we had let them.  It might have been interesting if we had let them scrimmage against each other, it might have picked up their intensity a little.”

As CC came off the ice into the lone dressing room, they provided the CK players who getting dressed with words of encouragement and suggestions – “Wear hats under your helmet, wear street gloves under your gloves, a little petroleum on the face might help”!

CK Assistant Coach, Pat Ronayne observed, “I thought both teams moved well under the conditions – I can’t say as much for the respective coaching staffs.” 

Both head coaches thought it was a great opportunity for the players to get used to the ice conditions, to see how the puck bounced off the boards and to experience outdoor conditions.

The 2010 Outdoor Classic, proudly sponsored by Little Caesars, will be played at Clark Park on Sunday, January 17^th at 2:00 PM.  The varsity game will be preceded by two alumni games and a junior varsity game.

Details at www.outdoorclassicdetroit.com  

Promotion video: http://www.vimeo.com/8246133

Last changed: Jan 07 2010 at 4:35 PM