NHL not concerned about weather for Winter Classic

ST. LOUIS -- Preparations for the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Busch Stadium are right on target, but there have been a few glances at the weather forecast for Monday afternoon when the puck is scheduled to drop to start the game between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks (1 p.m. ET; NBC, SN, TVA Sports, NHL.TV).
The forecast for Monday calls for unseasonably warm temperatures and a 70 percent chance of rain in the afternoon. NHL senior vice president of hockey operations Kris King said he is aware that the forecast is not ideal. But he also said it's too early to focus on the weather.

"There is a little bit of precipitation in the forecast, but as we have learned from doing these, the weather forecasts change over time," he said Thursday at Busch Stadium.
The Weather Channel is forecasting Monday will have a high temperature of 58 degrees and a steady, light rain in the morning followed by afternoon showers. Winds will be out of the south at 10 to 15 mph.
Rain in and of itself will not necessarily be an issue. The issue will be with the timing and the amount.
"We can freeze rain," King said. "We can't freeze a lot of rain."
Rain delayed the start of the 2011 Winter Classic between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. The game was moved from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. to get away from the adverse conditions.
The ice technicians weathered the storm by using the ice-resurfacing machines to suck up excess water, and workers squeegeed the ice on a regular basis.

The NHL has been hosting outdoor games since the first Winter Classic in Buffalo in 2008, including warm-weather games in Los Angeles and Santa Clara, California.
"This is our 19th game and we have played in all different kinds of weather," King said.
King said the NHL will make a decision based on the safety of all involved -- players, officials and fans -- when it comes to puck drop for the 2017 Winter Classic. If 1 p.m. doesn't work, the League has options.
Though those plans are spelled out by League officials, King said they have not been revisited in light of the current forecast. There is time for the predicted conditions to change.
"We don't try to make decisions or get anybody thinking [anything] other than that the puck will drop as scheduled on [Jan. 2]," he said.