Game on! Penguins, Sabres get ready for extra chills at Bills’ frosty stadium

It will be the NHL’s first outdoor game in the United States.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Brian Campbell gingerly stuck his skate onto the ice like a swimmer dipping his toe into a cold pool.

The Buffalo Sabres defenseman led his teammates onto the makeshift hockey rink for practice Monday and was none the worse for wear. The anticipation and the trepidation seemed to be gone after the team’s hourlong spin.

All that remained after months of hype is for the Sabres to play the Pittsburgh Penguins today in the Winter Classic, the NHL’s first outdoor game in the United States.

“Once your face gets a little numb you feel fine,” Campbell said. “The ears were cold a little bit, maybe a little frostbite on them, but that’s all right.”

The Sabres and Penguins tried various methods — such as hand and feet warmers — and pieces of gear to combat the temperatures that hovered around freezing during each club’s only practice on a rink built in the middle of Ralph Wilson Stadium, home to the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.

Sabres goalies Ryan Miller and Jocelyn Thibault each wore hats fashioned out of hockey socks on top of their masks. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and several others went for hooded shirts that fit snugly over their ears and heads.

“I am still toying with the idea,” said Penguins forward Adam Hall, who along with Miller played an outdoor game while at Michigan State. “I don’t know if you ever get used to this stuff. It’s such a great event to be part of. There are so many factors, like the weather and the ice surface. You have to take each one as it comes.”

Thibault was happy with what he went out with and will be wearing his sock-hat again when his sits on the heated bench today, backing up Miller.

“It kept everything warm,” Thibault said. “It kept my thoughts warm. I need that.”

Any talk about the ice surface was positive, with many saying it was better than expected. Wind and sun glare also didn’t pose much of an issue, and players and NHL officials openly hoped for a bit of snow overnight and something light during the game.

The forecast called for a high temperature of 36 with an 80 percent chance of precipitation, whether it be rain or snow. A weather station inside the stadium showed a window should exist to get the game in once the puck drops shortly after 1 p.m.

The third-period will be split in half to give each team equal time on each side of the rink. Any wind that cropped up Monday seemed to blow toward the south end of the stadium, where the tunnel that leads to the dressing room is located.

“I know there is a lot of attention on this game,” Penguins coach Michel Therrien said, “but from our standpoint, we’ve got to win.”