Segment 5: Ryan and Michael predict the medallists, relegation battlers, MVP, top forward, top defenseman and top goaltender. An overhead photo of the ice rink during the Vegas Golden Knights practice session before the 2024 Winter Classic ice hockey game at T-Mobile Park. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAzMzA0ODIxOTkyNzkzNjY3/usatsi_22200592_168400847_lowres.jpg] An overhead photo of the ice rink during the Vegas Golden Knights practice session before the 2024 Winter Classic ice hockey game at T-Mobile Park. Seattle sports fans who are looking to dial back the indulgence after a decadent holiday season are being put to the test this New Year's weekend. Football is the main course, but the NHL's sold-out 2024 Winter Classic makes for a very tasty side dish. "You can't really encapsulate how great of a sports city this is any better than we can over the over the next 36 hours," said coach Dave Hakstol after the Seattle Kraken's outdoor practice on Sunday at T-Mobile Park, the home of the MLB's Seattle Mariners. The Pacific Division clash between the Kraken and the Vegas Golden Knights goes Monday at noon PT. But first, nearly 70,000 football fans gathered on Sunday in the hope that the Seattle Seahawks could keep their playoff hopes alive with a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. "My son and a couple of his buddies were on the ice for the family skate," Hakstol said. "They're racing over to go see the Seahawks game because they're excited to be part of that." Some of the Kraken players were also planning on heading over to the game. Lumen Field is right next door to T-Mobile Park. The NHL's free Fan Village is strategically set up in the stadium's north parking lot and while the league is looking forward to the foot traffic from the Seahawks game, a lineup of hockey fans decked out in Kraken and Golden Knights gear had begun to form as early as the first quarter. Highlights of the family friendly event include the opportunity to play air hockey on a giant table, visit the United by Hockey mobile museum, take part in hockey-themed games and activities from the old-school 'shoot into a dryer,' Crosby-style, to receiving cutting edge analysis similar to the new NHL Edge data. As always, the stadium setup looks outstanding, with nautical-themed touches in keeping with the Kraken's origin story. A highlight is the shipwreck at center field, the vessel capsized after falling into the tentacles of the mysterious sea creature. The shipwreck also houses the stage where Seattle's Sir Mix-a-Lot will add his flavor to the player introductions, the legendary Heart will rock out during the first intermission, and a tribute to Seattle's vibrant sports scene will take place during the second intermission. In near-perfect conditions, with temperatures in the mid-40s Fahrenheit under partly cloudy skies, players and coaches from both teams expressed their excitement about taking part in such a memorable event on Sunday. "I tried to tell the guys to try to take it all in," said Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy. "It's unique. You should enjoy it and make sure your family enjoys it." A Boston-area native who attended the first outdoor classic at Fenway Park as a seven-year-old in 2010, Matty Beniers' imagination couldn't stretch beyond the prospect of maybe suiting up for one of the local schools someday. "When (Boston College) would play, my dad was out there with his beer league team, playing a game at Fenway before the game actually happened," he recalled. "Then you see all the other colleges — they'll play games at those outdoor rinks. I think I was more thinking of it like that — being out there as a college player. But now that you're here, it's pretty cool to look back and be like, 'Hey, I went to all these other ones, and now I get to play in one." And while the NHL's outdoor games are all about spectacle and tapping into audiences that extend beyond the hardcore hockey fan, there are still two points on the line that are critical to both teams. After a hot 13-3-1 start, the Golden Knights hit a bit of a rough patch and had lost four straight before beating the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 coming out of the Christmas break. Cassidy said he believes when the time comes, his players will find their focus. "We're a very competitive group, and I think for our guys, the bigger the game, they get a little more juices going into it," he said. "I think that's how we will handle it, knowing our group. They'll just want to win because of the stage they are on. I'm not saying that's a switch you flip, necessarily, but that's just how our guys are wired." The hosts are coming into Monday's game on a four-game winning streak, with points in their last eight games and getting excellent goaltending from Joey Daccord after Philipp Grubauer suffered a lower-body injury on Dec. 10. Grubauer did get onto the ice on Sunday, showing off his sweet custom setup for the event, but is not expected to be activated for the game. With a record of 6-1-3 in their last 10 games, the Kraken still have more ground to make up. Heading into Sunday's games, they sat three points out of a wild-card spot in the west. Following Monday's Winter Classic, another football game of major importance to Seattle sports fans will take place 2,500 miles away, in New Orleans. Also a huge local draw, college football's 13-0 Washington Huskies are taking on the 12-1 Texas Longhorns in the 2024 Sugar Bowl. Kickoff will be at 5:45 p.m. PT for the College Football playoff semifinal, where the winner advances to face the winner of Monday's Rose Bowl in the College Football Playoff Final at NRG Stadium in Houston on Jan. 8. "Hopefully everyone will be up early — using our game, maybe, as a pre-drink for that one," said Seattle defenseman Vince Dunn. "For us, it's nice to be able to host this at home. It's going to be great, great atmosphere." And don't underestimate the appeal of a chance to paint on some eye black. "We don't get very many chances to do that in hockey," said Vegas defenseman Alec Martinez. "We see football and baseball players doing it, and it looks pretty cool."
