The first-ever Baltimore Hockey Classic at 1st Mariner Arena on Tuesday didn't go well, to say the least. The ice conditions were so awful that players on both the Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators complained about them. You'd think this was a bad time for Frank Remesch, the general manager of the arena, to say he thinks the Capitals will come back next year and express his hope that they'll play a regular-season game in Baltimore in the near future.
Except, he did anyway. Via the Baltimore Sun:
"The thing about this is that the Capitals have branded themselves. They have arguably the player in hockey [in Alex Ovechkin]. It’s kind of like bringing Bruce Springsteen here. It’s one time. I can’t see this not being a success for the future. After we prove we can do this three, four, five times, I’m going to push for a regular-season game. ... It’s a very, very, very, very long shot. But if you’re a fan, don’t give up hope."
I mean - sure, I guess the Capitals would come back, but there are some pretty big problems to overcome. Namely:
- The length of the ice is four feet shorter than an NHL regulation size. "That could be a hindrance," Remesch said in the story. Gee, ya think?
- The ice quality, which got bad because the stadium was packed. The Capitals will surely only agree to play in Baltimore if it draws a lot of fans, so this is kind of a problem.
I guess only time will tell, but the whole declaration seems very optimistic.