Winter Classic Photo Blog…

I was down at Heinz Field for the first time today to pick up my credentials and take a look around. I have to admit that it was pretty amazing to see the rink and the crews and everything that goes into creating this amazing event! There are a ton of fans already blanketing the area as they hit the ice at the Winter Classic Community Rink and take in all of the sights and sounds of this marquee event.

I took a handful of pictures while I was there today and a youtube video. Unfortunately I was holding my iPhone upright so it skewed the vid a bit…

The pic at the left is your trusty neighborhood hockey blogger outside of gate A. I didn’t have a partner in crime with me so I had to use the iPhone’s handy reverse camera feature. I had just left Mark Fischel and the League’s credential office before taking this pic.

I spent some time milling around the outlying areas of Heinz Field just taking in all of the sites and sounds. It was great to see all of the folks working on setting up the Winter Classic Festival. I saw what looked to be the Geico Caveman Cave, a giant Dick’s trailer and a stage. I imagine that all will be close to done tomorrow.

I also spent some time watching the folks skating at the Community Rink. Iceburgh, the Penguins’ mascot was there skating with some kids. It is a shame that we can’t keep that rink up throughout the season, but it just wouldn’t work logistically with the Steelers’ season still rolling on. It is worth noting that Mario Lemieux made mention of the fact that they may consider a more perminant outdoor rink in the future based on the popularity of the Winter Classic Community Rink.

Here is a look at the outside of Gate A…