This Saturday will see another KHL regular championship match played in the open air – the second of the season, and indeed, only the second in the League's 10-year history. The game is a contest between the two Dinamos, with Riga welcoming the men from Minsk, and a number of surprises await the fans who brave the winter temperatures and watch from the stands.
The very first KHL regular season match under open skies took place last month, on the 2nd of December, when Jokerit welcomed Gagarin cup champion SKA to Helsinki, and it was an unqualified success watched by a crowd of 17,645, a new record attendance for the League. The stands erected for Saturday's match in the grounds of Riga's City Council Sports Complex can accommodate 8,500 spectators, and the organizers are promising a packed program of entertainment, so tickets will be in high demand and short supply.
A hockey tradition stretching back to 1909
One historical hockey fact which has faded from memory is that the spread of the game throughtout the USSR began in Latvia, where they had been playing the sport since 1909. A Riga newspaper described the very first contest, held on the 28th of February of that year. The match was a contest between the Riflemen's Union and a team of gardeners, played on a rink on the grounds of the Horticultural Society, near the Hippodrome (now Grostonas Street). However, there was a gap of over two decades before the first officially recognized hockey match in the country, which was played on the 15th of February, 1930, between a team from Riga and a visiting collective from Königsberg. A year later, Latvia had become a full member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and began competing in World Championships, European Championships, and in 1936, the Olympics.
At this time, Russia was still pondering whether to become one of the hockey-playing nations, but it was not until after WWII had ended that the game began to take off across the USSR, and the spark for the launch came from Riga. Latvian players featured heavily in the rosters of teams competing in 1946, the debut year of the USSR Championship, as they possessed the greater hockey-playing experience. However, the men from the Baltic just missed out on the medals, finishing the season in fourth place.
Riga to play in white
A short whille back, Dinamo Riga turned to the KHL with a curious request: that the team be allowed to wear their white, road-trip uniform for the open-air encounter, so that the home fans could see the second uniform on their heroes. The men from Minsk were supportive, and so offered to wear their home strip for this special road match. Another curiosity: the match between the two Dinamos will be the first in League history to be played under natural light – the game will begin at 14.00 Moscow time.
Hat-tip to Mayor Usakovs
The venue for this open-air classic was chosen with the aim of displaying the improvements in Riga's sporting infrastructure, as well as to promote a healthy lifestyle in general and hockey in particular. On the 17th of January, 2017, on a former landfill site was unveiled a slide designed for sledging, which the Riga public swiftly christened “Usakovs' Cap,” in honor of the charismatic mayor of the city, Nils Usakovs (hockey fans may remember his enthusiastic participation when Riga hosted the 2012 KHL All-Star Game). The site is now divided into three parts: a large holiday park, a green space with picnic tables, and the artificial slope - Usakovs' Cap, which can only be used at subzero temperatures, but after further work shall soon have slopes for skiing and snowboarding.
It is but a snowball's throw from Usakovs' Cap to the rink and stands which will play host to 8,500 people on Saturday. The organizers even spared a thought for those who arrive but fail to get tickets, so the hockey action will be relayed via a giant screen.
Cake, songs and dances Dinamo Riga's official website has unveiled the program of events in this festival of hockey, and the club will provide a wide range of activities for spectators. A fan zone is in place, and will be open a full two hours before the game begins, giving fans more than enough time to stock up on hockey merchandise, or buy souvenirs made by Latvian craftsmen, or sample the local cuisine. They will also start baking the special Winter Ice Break cake to commemorate the occasion.
Fans will be serenaded by music from the popular groups Fakts, Pulsa efekts, and Dzelzs vilks, plus an orchestra, the circus Studio Carabas, a youth choir from the House of Culture, and the life-size puppet theater Bestshow.
Dinamo versus Dinamo - 17 wins each! In their time in the KHL, the Latvians and Belarusians have faced each other 34 times, and the score in past meetings between the clubs is 17 wins apiece. The first encounter took place in Riga on the 6th of October, 2008, and was a typically swashbuckling contest. The hosts raced to a 4-0 lead inside the first 12 minutes, and eventually won 8-5.
In that match, forward Matt Ellison, who later became a star for the Minsk Men, hit a hat-trick for the Latvian team, and among the other players on duty that day was the current Dinamo Riga acting head coach, Girts Ankipans.
Today, the Latvian capital hosts a KHL regular championship match played in the open air – the second of the season, and indeed, only the second in the League's 10-year history. The game is a contest between the two Dinamos, with Riga welcoming the men from Minsk, and khl.ru is at the venue reporting back on preparations for this historic event. Visitors to Riga were greeted on Friday by temperatures in the low minuses, occasional sunny spells and a complete absence of any winds – nearly ideal conditions for all in Riga working on preparations for the big event this afternoon.
A bus ferried journalists to a site close to the center of town, flanked by a school and an icy peak, “Usakovs' Cap,” a slope designed for sledging and named in honor of the mayor of the city, Nils Usakovs. This is Riga's City Council Sports Complex, and its ice rink, thanks to spectator stands freshly delivered from Germany, will boast a temporary capacity of 8,500, and has also been equipped with team locker rooms, a press center, and all the other infrastructure needed for an outside broadcast of a major event.
Dinamo Riga in training before the Winter Ice Break
By Friday, Dinamo Riga board member Zigmārs Priede made a proud declaration:
- Everything bar the sound system has already been installed and tested, and it is fully ready for the players.
- What was the most difficult part of preparing for this match?
Oh, there was something – the weather conditions presented us with a few challenges, as the wind sometimes reached speeds of 20 m/s! And we had guys - lighting, video technicains, electricians - who needed to climb to heights of over 50 feet, but they coped very well.
- What do you expect from the match?
- First of all, good hockey. The guys are determined to show what they can do. I also expect a good atmosphere and hope for good weather.
I'm confident of a great atmosphere because Riga has long been staging similar events, and the tickets (all standing) are priced modestly at 10 euros. Plus, for two hours before the match we will put on a lot of entertainment in the Fan Zone – there will be live music, souvenirs, a circus, local cuisine, and various Dinamo Riga merchandise... plus the match itself, which was given a catchy title, the Winter Ice Break, and much more. For those who miss out on a ticket, we have a huge screen relaying the action live.
Dinamo Riga in training before the Winter Ice Break
After the two teams trained on the unfamiliar ice, Riga defenseman Georgijs Pujacs, a veteran of all ten seasons of the KHL, shared his thoughts:
- The cold holds no fear for us. We all played outdoors when we were young. The main thing is that the fans enjoy it, so we will give everything to make them happy.
- What do think of the quality of the playing surface?
- The ice is good. Although, we broke the perimeter glass today, so I hope that doesn't happen again tomorrow, because a few people might freeze if there's a long delay while the glass is being mended.
- You cannot qualify for the playoffs, so how is the motivation?
- The result is still vital to the Minsk guys as they can still qualify, and they are our rivals. Belarus and Latvia's rivalry in hockey goes back a long way, thanks to being division rivals in the World Championships, and of course, the two countries will jointly host the Worlds in 2021.
Dinamo Minsk in training before the Winter Ice Break
Dinamo Riga's acting head coach, Girts Ankipans, also spoke to the assembled press pack:
- Weeks have passed since Riga lost any chance of a playoff spot, so should tomorrow's match lift the morale of the players?
- Of course! I'm sure there will be a great atmosphere. Something close to football, I think. We have a very loud crowd, and in such unusual surroundings they will cheer even more loudly. There will be a full house and it will be a very passionate game.
- The first sell-out crowd of the season.
- And that's wonderful!
- As you say, the men from Minsk still have a chance of qualifying for the playoffs. Are you determined to ruin their plans?
- No, first of all, we intend to play our own game. But any game between Latvians and Belarusians is a derby, with extra passion, aggression – a tough battle. We have our goal, and every game is important.
Dinamo Riga in training before the Winter Ice Break
As one might expect from a team with a mathematical chance of a playoff berth, Dinamo Minsk trained a little longer, hoping to extend their season. Afterwards, Minsk defenseman Denis Osipov, a Gagarin Cup winner two seasons ago with Magnitogorsk, chatted with the press:
- What do you think of these open-air games?
- They're awesome! I like everything about the idea, and it is just like it was in childhood! I remember my dad bringing me to the rink where I would skate with all my friends, so there's a bit of nostalgia, and I'd love to be a fan at such a game.
- What kind of special preparations have you made for the game?
- Several sets of underwear, and we've been given special scarves to ensure that our ears won't get cold. Although, having said that, it's not that cold.
Dinamo Minsk head coach Gordie Dwyer was also very enthusiastic about the upcoming event.
- It must be amazing! This is my first experience of such a game, and I, being the coach, was the first to get a look at the whole set-up. And it's awesome for the fans, and for promoting the sport. Tomorrow will be a new experience, not only for me but for most of the players. It's a little strange - different ice, different air. But the atmosphere will make up for any minor inconveniences, and the match will linger long in the memory, I'm sure Dinamo Riga will give a great performance, and we are expecting a really tough game and an enjoyable battle that is certain to attract new fans.
Dinamo Minsk in training before the Winter Ice Break
The first ever open-air KHL game in Latvia was a big success, attracting a sell-out crowd to the temporary tribunes in Riga – and leaving the city authorities talking about making it an annual event. Dinamo Riga is renowned for putting on a good show at its games – but Saturday’s showdown with namesake Dinamo Minsk was a bit special, even by Latvian standards.
The teams met in the open air, in front of an 8,500 sell-out crowd at a specially installed temporary arena in the Riga City Hall Sports Complex. Indeed, the official crowd was eventually tallied at 10,554, with more than 2,000 fans watching the action on big screens next to the rink itself.
Despite the home team’s difficulties this season (Riga is currently rooted to the foot of the KHL table, having seen Latvian hockey legend Sandis Ozolins depart the head coach’s position early in the campaign), there was a festive mood around this game: for players and fans alike, it evoked fond memories of the old ‘korobka’ hockey, played on those small rinks found outside almost every apartment block in Soviet times and still popular today wherever they have escaped the covetous eyes of developers.
That crowd was treated to an exciting game, with the home team belying its lowly ranking in the early stages of the game to open up a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Brandon McMillan and Rihards Bukarts. But Gordie Dwyer’s team is still – just about – in contention for a playoff place in the Western Conference, and was not about to allow that dream to slip away here. Two goals in 64 seconds saw Justin Fontain and Denis Osipov tie the scores.
Deep into the final frame, Minsk took the lead for the first and only time. Jack Skille was the man on the spot, getting the vital touch to Vladimir Denisov’s shot and taking it away from Janis Kalnins in the Riga net. With barely four minutes left, there was no time for the home team to respond, and the victory went to Belarus.
But the day was about more than the result, as Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs explained. “It’s the first time we’ve had a game like this in modern-day Latvia,” he said. “It’s important for us that it’s more than an exhibition game, that it’s part of the KHL championship. We’ve already got plans to make this a regular event, to build up a bigger rink here. The city will always do everything it can to support it.” It looks like open-air hockey in Latvia could be here to stay.
‘One of the highlights of the championship’
KHL President Dmitry Chernyshenko rated Riga’s Winter Ice Break and Helsinki’s Ice Challenge as “two of the real highlights of the championship”. “Both games will live long in the memory,” he said. “They have attracted big crowds of fans, and even of people coming to hockey for the first time. After a festival like this, we hope many of them will come back regularly.”
Girts Ankipans, head coach of Dinamo Riga, is right behind the idea of making it an annual event. “That would be great! The atmosphere today was fantastic,” he said. “It’s a pleasure to play in the open air, even for a coach it’s a special experience.”
His opposite number, Gordie Dwyer, also rated it a memorable experience. “Unfortunately, I never got the chance to do this as a player, so I’m thrilled that I was able to do it today. It was a real celebration: after the hooter, the players stayed on the ice taking photos and just enjoying the moment. Days like this show why we love hockey.”
Goalscorer Rihards Bukarts felt it was unforgettable. “Absolutely everyone enjoyed the game, it was a great day,” he said. “I’m sure all the players will remember this for the rest of their lives. The only disappointment was that we couldn’t beat Minsk and give our fans a victory to celebrate.”
And Alexander Pavlovich was lost in some childhood memories. “It was like going back to when we were kids and we used to play outside in the courtyard,” he said. “We had a good atmosphere, lots of fans and, to be honest, I didn’t even notice the cold.”
No comments:
Post a Comment