Rain creates wild playing conditions at AHL Outdoor Classic

Rain in Bakersfield, Calif. turned the rink at the AHL Outdoor Classic into the world’s largest Slip ‘N Slide Saturday night.

The Bakersfield Condors hosted the Ontario Reign in the ninth outdoor game in AHL history Saturday night at Memorial Stadium in Bakersfield, Calif.

In this era of multiple NHL outdoor games a season, it would take something exceptionally unusual for an AHL contest to make headlines.

Well, it rained – a lot. And the imagery is spectacular.

For instance – when the puck was passed or shot, water sprayed everywhere.

And this video below from the start of the second period shows the rain at its peak, which virtually turned the makeshift rink into a 200-by-85-foot puddle for a while.

“Every time you stopped, one skate poured water into the other, so each one felt like it was 10 pounds,” Condors winger Scott Allen told Zach Ewing of The Bakersfield Californian. “You had to keep clearing water from your visor. It was unreal.”

Adding to the bizarre circumstances of the evening, Ewing also noted the first period ended early due to an issue with a support beam on the outdoor rink.

TheAHL.com reported a temperature of 58 degrees Fahrenheit and light drizzle as the game began. It poured at the start of the second period, but then it actually cleared for the rest of the night.

As for the result, Bakersfield defenseman Mark Fayne and forward Josh Currie scored third-period goals to erase a 2-0 deficit, then defenseman Griffin Reinhart scored in overtime to lift the Condors past the Reign, 3-2. Brett Sutter and Justin Auger scored for the Reign.