Final finishing touches on outdoor rink for NHLOutdoors at Lake Tahoe

STATELINE, Nev. - It has been nonstop activity at Edgewood Tahoe for the past two weeks in preparation for this weekend's NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe. The scene on Wednesday looked like the major event it will be - televised coverage of a unique major sporting event.

Truckloads of equipment and the refrigerated ice truck are parked next to the 18th fairway at Edgewood. The ice is done. Towering lights are in place, and banners and signage ready for television and a snow machine is even set up.

There are two enclosed rink-side chalets, one for broadcasters, hockey officials, team personnel, referees, coaches, statistic people, tech support and video reply that is being sent back to Toronto. The other is a locker room replicating what players find on their home ice. They have bikes, washrooms, weight room, and therapy area. The only thing not added were the showers, but the NHL figured the players' hotel rooms were just across the street so they didn't really need to add. Outdoor ramps for team personnel are adjacent to one chalet and a media viewing area have been set up.

Over 450 people have been involved in getting the venue set up for the unique event - ice hockey on a lakefront golf course. Layers of ice have been added to the rink all week, all with Mother Nature tossing her winter best of snow, rain and wind at it. The wind even changed direction Wednesday, something they hadn't planned on but dealt with it.

"We are so excited about how this whole area has come to life," said NHL Chief Content Officer, Steve Mayer.

Mayer highlighted the outdoor event at Edgewood as a "made for TV event" due to the epic scenery as a backdrop and no fans allowed inside.

The NHL was researching a number of places to hold the outdoor games, then when narrowed down to a few they made site visits and once they saw Lake Tahoe they knew they had a winner. The other two finalists were Lake Louise, Alberta and Park City, Utah Even without the normal electricity in an existing stadium, the nearby hotels for players is all they needed.

There was a short timeline to plan and create what was needed for the two outdoor games. Edgewood's 18th fairway was like a "blank canvas" and needed everything including electricity, walls, outlets, ice, and lights, said Executive Vice President of Events, Dean Matsuzaki.

Bridgestone NHL Outdoors Saturday will showcase the Colorado Avalanche and the Vegas Golden Knights at 12:00 p.m. on Feb. 20, and Honda NHL Outdoors Sunday will feature the Philadelphia Flyers and the Boston Bruins on Feb. 21. The time for Sunday's game has changed to 11:00 a.m.

There will be a lot of firsts for the NHL during the weekend:

- First time using drones as part of the television coverage
- First time outdoors outside of a stadium
- First time to have a $1M Hole in One attempt on the 17th hole

Opening ceremonies each day will feature local medical, first responder, Olympians. The weekend's schedule:

Saturday

Lake Tahoe shoreline as its backdrop, selfless members of the Tahoe Community will be honored before the Colorado Avalanche face the Vegas Golden Knights in the Bridgestone NHL Outdoors Saturday on Feb. 20.

Saturday’s Opening Ceremony presented by Navy Federal Credit Union will begin with the on-ice arrival of the Avalanche and Golden Knights, followed by a performance of the U.S. national anthem by South Lake Tahoe native Aurora C. Gooch who was on the front lines of the pandemic, serving as a collection specialist for a Tahoe-based COVID testing company.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Jared Elliott will arrive by boat, dock at the Edgewood pier and deliver the game puck to Daryl Braga, a charge nurse and Lead RN in the emergency department at Barton Memorial Hospital; Miranda Miller, an Activities Director at the Skilled Nursing Facility, a part of Barton Memorial Hospital; and Dusty R. Gooch, a firefighter and paramedic for the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and the father of Saturday’s anthem singer. The trio of frontline workers will present the puck to game officials.

The pregame festivities will conclude with a flyover featuring one HC-130J and two HH-60G helicopters flown by members of the Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) Combined Test Force (CTF), stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

In the first intermission, the focus will move from the NHL-regulation size rink on the par-5 18th hole to the lakeside par-3 17th hole of the iconic Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. The One Million Dollar Hole-in-One Challenge presented by Bridgestone will feature Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon’s attempt to relive a memorable moment from the same spot - Avalanche GM and Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Sakic’s hole-in-one in the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe in 2011. If MacKinnon makes an ace to match Sakic’s feat a decade ago, the NHL will donate $1 million to the NHL/NHLPA Learn to Play program.

During the second intermission, Saturday’s game broadcast on NBC, Sportsnet and TVA will feature the world premiere of Green Day’s newest song, “Here Comes the Shock.” The song will be featured in a highlight reel of the top plays of the first quarter of the 2020-21 NHL® season.

The debut of the song and highlight video are part of the NHL’s two-year, cross-platform and promotional partnership with the band. Immediately following its NHL debut, “Here Comes the Shock” will be available on Feb. 21 on all music services, including Apple Music and Spotify.

This marks the second year of the NHL’s collaboration with Green Day. Green Day’s music will be featured throughout the remainder of the 2020-21 season.

Sunday

Honda NHL Outdoors Sunday™ on Feb. 21 – Flyers vs. Bruins

Following the on-ice arrival of the Bruins and Flyers, Sunday’s Opening Ceremony presented by Navy Federal Credit Union will feature a special performance of the U.S. national anthem by three-time Grammy® Award-winning and multi-platinum selling artist Pentatonix.

Following the anthem, two T-38 Talon aircrafts, operated by the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron (1 RS) assigned to Beale Air Force Base in California, will fly over the venue. To close the pregame festivities, three-time Olympic snowboarder Hannah Teter and two-time Olympic skier Maddie Bowman, both South Lake Tahoe area residents, will deliver the game puck.

There has been another change in the schedule. Saturday will broadcast live at 3:00 p.m. (ET), or noon local time, and Sunday will start at 4:30 p.m. local time. Sunday will be carried on NBCSN in the U.S. and on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada.