by Andy McInnes, Staff Writer/Social Media Specialist, All Habs Hockey Magazine

AUCKLAND, NZ. — Heading up the highway to Auckland, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the 2018 Ice Hockey Classic. The last time that I’d been to Spark Arena, the venue for Friday’s game, was to see Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame. This time, the event was going to be something completely different.

I arrived early as I wanted to take in the build up and the atmosphere. Firstly, I had the pleasure of meeting with Kerry Goulet, the Director of StopConcussions Foundation, who in association with TEG Live and TLA Worldwide are responsible for bringing the event to this part of the world. I found Kerry to be a very passionate and inspiring man. Watch for my upcoming article about him and the magnificent work that he does.

I made my way into the arena to take in a bit of the warm up game between Botany Swarm and the West Auckland Admirals in a New Zealand Ice Hockey League match up. There were roughly a few hundred spectators in attendance for this, with a noisy and boisterous support from the local die hards for both teams. The league leading Admirals ran out 4-2 winners against the second place Swarm.

Making my way out of the arena, I found the crowd building up outside in anticipation for the main event which was due to begin at 7:30 pm. local time. The merchandise stalls were in full swing selling Team Canada and Team USA scarves, hats and jerseys. Many of the accents to be heard outside on the concourse were distinctly North American, lots of expats out for their hockey fix.

Never in my life have I seen so many NHL jerseys in the one location. It was great to see  Habs jerseys on display. Leafs, Oilers, Canucks, Flames and Jets jerseys could be seen also, as well as NHL wear from the majority of the American franchises. Yes, it was building up to be a pretty good evening.

Back in the Arena the place was now full of supporters. Long queues at the food stalls gave me plenty of time to decide what delicacy I was going to enjoy. Seeing as I’ve never eaten poutine, I decided to give it a try. I’ve no idea if it was anything like the real thing but it was certainly very tasty and there was lots of it being sold.

Down in the main foyer, the StopConcussions team, including players wives, were working furiously to raise funds for the organisation. Auctions were being held for the match worn jerseys, with winners getting to meet their respective players on the ice after the match.

Other sports memorabilia was also available for auction including a signed Sydney Crosby Penguins jersey, signed pucks, photos and caps. Speaking with the ladies from StopConcussions, I was able to feel their enthusiasm and motivation for the work they are doing. Very generous with their time, it was a real pleasure listening to their stories of Kerry, and the Ice Hockey Classic series which is now in its seventh year, and their stories of how they came to be involved with StopConcussions and the Ice Hockey Classic.

I watched the build up to the game from ice level, and could see that the arena was packed. The noise levels had increased tenfold, and there were chants for both USA and Canada. As the teams came onto the ice the atmosphere was simply electric. I’ve been to lots of sport events and this reception was one of the loudest that I’ve heard.

After the national anthems were sung it was time for the main event. My initial thought once the game was underway was ‘geez, these guys are fast.’ You can really see how good these players are with the naked eye. The game was hard, tough and at times feisty.

The two captains clashed in the third period as Canada’s Nolan Yonkman slammed USA’s Zenon Konopka to the ice. Konopka was less than impressed and was still remonstrating with his far larger opponent even after the game had ended. Konopka seemed to be involved in most of the significant USA plays grabbing himself two goals.

The Canadiens Byron Froese played on a line with former Laval teammates Peter Holland and Kyle Baun and their experience of playing together played a big factor in the outcome of this game. They combined to score seven of the eight Canadian goals as Canada ran out 8-5 winners. Peter Holland got his hat trick, with Froese and Baun both scoring two. All Habs Hockey Magazine will feature my post-game interview with Froese in a future article.

For me, this was a very memorable experience and one that I’d love to repeat. Now where exactly is Montreal and how do I get there?