Hockey fans score a win with Canadian playoff weather this weekend
Fans will flock to see four Canadian teams duke it out this weekend as the NHL playoffs begin
Nerves and excitement build this weekend as 16 National Hockey League (NHL) teams battle their way to the championship title.
Hockey fans from coast to coast are hoping that one of the four Canadian teams skating into this season’s playoffs will bring the trophy north of the border as a winning squad for the first time in more than 30 years.
Here’s a look at what fans can expect as they head out and root on Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Toronto over the next couple of days.
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Hockey fans have it pretty good this year compared to the football fans who braved a blizzard to see the playoff in Buffalo back in January.
The last week of April is a pretty solid bet if you’re heading to a tailgate or a watch party. Temperatures in all four playoff cities typically hover around 13-14°C toward end of April.
First up this weekend is the Toronto Maple Leafs as they face off on Boston’s home turf on Saturday evening.
Folks who made it down to Massachusetts to watch the game in person will see showery conditions early in the day, with calmer conditions and temperatures in the lower teens around puck drop. If you’re watching the game home in Toronto, similar conditions are on tap with readings coming in just a few degrees cooler.
The Vancouver Canucks will host Nashville at Rogers Arena on Sunday evening.
Folks heading out to the game will enjoy temperatures around 10°C beneath overcast skies when the game begins at 7:00 p.m. Breaks in the clouds will allow readings to tick down a few degrees by the end of the game around 10:00 p.m.
Winnipeg is on track to score the best conditions out of the four matches this weekend.
Sunday’s 6:00 p.m. game between the hometown Jets and the Colorado Avalanche will begin with a comfortable 12°C and sunshine, only cooling off into the upper single digits by the time folks head home at the end of the evening.
Things aren’t looking too bad across the Prairies in Edmonton, where the Oilers will host Los Angeles at 8:00 p.m. on Monday. The weather over Alberta will cooperate as temperatures stick close to the 10-degree mark in time for puck drop.
Make the most of this weekend’s pleasant conditions if you’re heading out to enjoy a game. Unsettled conditions are possible for Winnipeg’s Game 2 on Tuesday, as well as Toronto’s Game 3 on Wednesday.
Header image courtesy of Unsplash.
