Spokane Chiefs - Outdoor Hockey Game

Outdoor Hockey Game

During the 2010 offseason, the Chiefs and the Western Hockey League announced the WHL's first-ever outdoor hockey game would be played in Spokane on January 15, 2011 between the Chiefs and the Kootenay Ice. While the game was welcomed with great excitement in Spokane, many fans questioned the location of the 7,000-seat Avista Stadium- the home of the Spokane Indians baseball club. Joe Albi Stadium, a 28,000-seat facility that usually hosts high school and college football, was thought to be a much-better choice. Chiefs owner Bobby Brett, who also owns the Indians baseball team, said the Chiefs could not reach an argeement with the city on using Joe Albi.

Brett also had liability concerns regarding the astroturf installed at Albi. In the end, the game was played at Avista Stadium in front of a sell-out crowd of 7,075- though ticket prices did make a sell-out uncertain until the last minute. While they enjoyed the experience, many fans complained about the view from their seats at Avista Stadium. Fans who bought front-row tickets discovered they were eye-level with the side boards, making only the upper-part of the players' bodies visible and making it impossible to see the puck.

Construction crews begin their work at Avista Stadium the week after New Year's. A platform was constructed between first and third base on the baseball field, and then the ice refrigeration unit was placed on top of the platform. It took crews about one week to have the ice rink ready to go.

Weather played a critical role in the lead up to the game and on game day itself. Initial forecasts called for arctic temperatures and more than a foot of snow falling on January 15. That changed the week of the game, when a warm pacific storm barrled through the northwest and melted nearly a foot of snow already on the ground in Spokane. To the disappointment of many fans, the temperatures on game-day reached 50-degrees and there was no snow. As if on cue, moments before the puck dropped, the sun tucked behind the clouds and didn't show for the rest of the day, providing near-perfect viewing conditions.

The Chiefs ended up winning the game 11-2 over Kootenay, as nine different players scored for Spokane. Brett and the Chiefs organization have said it is very unlikely an outdoor game would ever be played in Spokane again, although the following day general manager Tim Speltz did leave open the possibility of hosting a game at Joe Albi Stadium.