The next time the Sabres take the ice, it will be for practice at Citi Field on Sunday morning. That will provide them a chance to grow accustomed to the elements and the subtleties of the outdoor rink.
In the meantime, Housley said that players who have played in outdoor games in the past have been sharing some of their experiences as a point of reference. The list of Sabres who have played outdoors in the NHL includes Jason Pominville, Kyle Okposo, Jordan Nolan and Benoit Pouliot, among others.
"I think the depth perception's going to be important to know, and just the ice conditions," Housley said. "The wind is going to play an important factor. We're going to have to take all those things into effect, and it's good to bounce things off of people who have been there before just to try and gain some experience going into this game."
Pouliot and Okposo have both played outdoor games in New York City, as part of the Stadium Series at Yankee Stadium in 2014. In fact, this will be Pouliot's fourth outdoor game. He played two games as part of that Stadium Series with the New York Rangers, as well as in the Heritage Classic with the Oilers in Winnipeg last season.
"That was the best experience I've had outdoors," Pouliot said of New York. "Yankee Stadium is huge. It's New York City. The atmosphere was unbelievable. There was a little snow coming down, too, which made the scene pretty nice. Both games outside in New York were my best games and favorite ones."
The Sabres will take part in a family skate at Citi Field following practice on Sunday, which for most players is the most rewarding aspect of the weekend.
"I've got the whole family on both sides coming," defenseman Zach Bogosian said. "My wife's family, my family, they're all coming in today actually. It'll be fun to enjoy the experience with them and get a chance to spend a few days in a pretty cool city. It's going to be a fun couple of days."
The experience will also serve as a flashback for many players who grew up learning to skate on outdoor rinks. That's especially true for Housley, who grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, where outdoor hockey is especially prevalent.
"Where I grew up in South St. Paul we had 10 outdoor rinks, and that didn't include the ponds," he said. "I had my mom wake me up on the weekends early so I could get out there first and skate around, and we had some really good ice surfaces. There's nothing like being out there by yourself skating around, imagining things, creating things until the rest of the guys came."
So, will Housley try to be the first one on the ice at practice?
"We're going to have fun," he said, smiling.
Practice at Citi Field on Sunday is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Stay tuned to Sabres.com and on Twitter @BuffaloSabres for complete coverage.
