With pirate-themed scenery, two red-hot rivals and an ambitious locale for an outdoor game, sail, ho: Sunday's NHL Stadium Series will be unlike any other.
Ahoy, mateys.
NHL outdoor games, which have been a mainstay since 2003, may have grown a bit tired and predictable over the years. But this weekend, the league will be hoping to find gold with a pirate-themed Stadium Series that is sure to be different.
Not only will it feature two of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference. But with the Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Boston Bruins, it's sure to be one of the warmest on record.
Maybe that is why the ice at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL's Buccaneers, will be covered by a large, air-conditioned structure for as long as possible before the game to ensure the water stays frozen for the 6:30 p.m. ET start on Feb. 1.
"This is the jackpot for us. Low to mid-60s (fahrenheit) is just fantastic for us, humidity is down," Andrew Higgins, NHL senior manager of facilities operations, told NHL.com. "We couldn't have asked for anything better. The conditions inside the (structure) are even better for us. We have had no delays, no stoppages in building ice. Couldn't ask for better."
You also couldn't have asked for two better rivals right now.
Tampa currently leads the Atlantic Division with 70 points, while the Bruins are five points back in the final wild-card spot. Both squads are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. In other words, this is not a meaningless game.
Boston's David Pastrnak will enter the game as one of the hottest players in the NHL, currently carrying an eight-game point streak. Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov, meanwhile, is riding a six-game point streak and has scored 13 goals and 38 points in his last 17 games.
The way it is lining up, this could be a preview of the first-round of the playoffs. And with the outdoor game coinciding with Gasparilla Pirate Fest theme, an annual event in Tampa that routinely draws 500,000 people, it could get rowdy in stands.
The NHL is leaning into the pirate theme.
The field design will feature a large treasure map with themed areas throughout that will be a play on the names of several Lightning players, including "Brayden's Point of No Return," named after center Brayden Point, and "McDonagh's Marsh," a reference to defenseman Ryan McDonagh.
The stadium also features a large pirate ship, which NHL president of content and events Steve Mayer said they'll take over and make Stadium Series-centric.
"In a world where these special events get a lot of attention, we're finding that these games in Florida are not only reaching hockey fans, but they're reaching sports fans, and we're doing them for all the right reasons," Mayer told NHL.com. "We're celebrating hockey here in Tampa and all the success they've had. This is awesome, and for every right reason in the world, we're playing the game in Florida."
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.