Chandler Stephenson of the Vegas Golden Knights will be writing a blog for NHL.com leading up to and after playing the Seattle Kraken in the 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Monday (3 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, truTV, SN, TVAS).
In his first installment, the 29-year-old center discusses Vegas' mindset after ending a four-game losing streak Thursday, his childhood memories of playing outdoor hockey and his excitement sharing this special event with his family and teammates.
It's easy to think the sky is falling down, especially when you're in the midst of a four-game losing streak. But our group never hits the panic button.
We know we're a good hockey club, and after our latest win -- a 3-2 victory against the Los Angeles Kings -- we focus on the next game, which happens to be the Winter Classic in Seattle against the Seattle Kraken.
It will be my fourth time playing a professional game of hockey outdoors.
There was that one time in Calgary (in 2011), taking on the Calgary Hitmen with the Regina Pats when I was 16. There was the Stadium Series game (with the Washington Capitals) against the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018. Then there was the time we played without fans at Lake Tahoe in the game that never seemed to end (in 2021 against the Colorado Avalanche).
Each one of those outdoor games rank differently, but they all have the same effect. Each time reminds of my childhood. That's where I spent most of my time on outdoor rinks.
You can only play in so many games and practice indoors so much. But everyday after school, I went to the outdoor rink with my brother and friends and got more ice time.
It would be minus-30 to minus-40 Celsius in Saskatoon, but it wasn't anything a few more layers couldn't fix. My mother would always yell at us for staying out too late because she thought it was too cold. It didn't matter, however, we kept playing, and my mom punished us for it. The punishment for not listening to mom? No more outdoor rink time.
But even with the punishments, nothing beat playing outdoors.
Now as a professional in the NHL, I get to relive those memories again when I take the ice on New Year's Day. The events leading up to when my teammates and I take the ice will be special. There will be the family skate where I'll be able to skate with my son, Ford, and celebrate the new year with him and my family.
There will be the fans, all excited to witness an outdoor game between the two newest franchises in the NHL. There will also be the after events for the family and the time spent with them before jumping right back into the thick of the NHL regular season.
Most importantly, though, there will be memories both with my family and teammates. That's what makes this team special. We're a tight-knit hockey team like a family and nothing will beat getting to spend the new year with all of them.
We won't know how the ice or the weather will be once the puck drops. But we'll do what we always do in these spots: we'll adjust, adapt, and attempt to walk away from the weekend with a win and two points.
While there are plenty of outside activities, we have to remember: this is still partially a business trip. We want to win the game as well.
Either way, we'll focus on the game when the time comes. Until then, we'll do what we like to do: live and enjoy the moment.
It worked for us before.
Thanks for reading my blog before and after the Winter Classic!
