Mother Nature has spared the 2017 NHL Winter Classic ... for now.
2017 NHL Winter classic: Weather forecast, scenarios if rain delays the Blues, Blackhawks game
Your primer to the Weather vs. Hockey matchup on Monday.
Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images
That “for now” is key.
Last week, it became apparent that weather in St. Louis could force some less-than-ideal delays at Busch Stadium for the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks.
As of Monday morning, the NHL has decided the game will start on time at 1 p.m. ET. But that doesn’t mean weather won’t be an issue. And there are a lot of contingency plans in place if the game gets delayed.
So here’s your primer.
The Forecast
All of this is from Weather dot com. We really dug deep to research this stuff.
Here’s the hour-by-hour:
And radar kind of indicates that there might be rain around 1 p.m. ET (puck drop), but it shouldn’t linger. But I’m no expert. I just google “weather.”
So, what happens if this thing goes sideways?
Scenario No. 1: High winds
Oh good, that doesn’t sound too bad. In that case, the two teams will just switch ends of the rink halfway through the third period (the 10-minute mark). The same thing will happen at the 2:30 minute mark in overtime.
Scenario No. 2: Unplayable conditions, game not tied
The game will be deemed “official” if two periods have been played. So whoever’s leading after that point will win the game.
Scenario No. 3: Unplayable conditions, game tied
Oh boy. Well, in that case, the game would head straight to a shootout. Just skip that whole “overtime” thing entirely. Both teams would earn one point, as you do. Imagine the controversy and consternation later in the season when some team misses the playoffs by one point these teams earned without playing a full game!
Scenario No. 4: Unplayable conditions after two periods, game tied, weather too bad for shootout
This is “Weird Hockey” territory. The shootout would still happen. But it wouldn’t happen on Monday.
It would happen the next time the Blackhawks and Blues play each other on Sunday, Feb. 26. Before that regularly scheduled game. A shootout before a full game. How bizarre would that be? St. Louis would be deemed the home team for the shootout, by the way.
Scenario No. 5: Unplayable conditions before two periods are done
The simplest resolution. The game is simply postponed until Tuesday, Jan. 3, at Busch Stadium. From the beginning. We try again.
However, it’s supposed to rain in St. Louis again on Tuesday. So if that can’t happen, the NHL will schedule a make-up game at Scottrade Center in St. Louis later in the season.
We’ve gone past two periods. The simplest resolution is off the table.
Let’s hope this just goes off without a hitch on Monday.
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