STRATFORD, P.E.I. – Stratford resident Gordie Dwyer will be part of an outdoor game in Latvia today.
The Dalhousie, N.B., native is head coach of Dinamo Minsk. They will play Dinamo Riga in KHL action.
“It’s going to be a pretty neat experience,” Dwyer said this week. “I think it’s a great experience for the fans.”
And while it is a great way to celebrate the game, he said, it will be important for his squad to remain focused on its game plan.
“We’re a team that's still battling to be in the playoffs and there’s playoff implications,” he said.
The former Summerside Western Capitals and P.E.I. Rocket/Charlottetown Islanders head coach reached out to Islanders athletic therapist Kevin Elliott, who was with Team Canada at the world junior championship for an outdoor game with the Americans.
“Hopefully it doesn't snow like it was snowing in Buffalo,” Dwyer said.
The game will be played at the Riga City Council Sports Complex hockey field, where stands for 8,500 spectators have been built.
Jokerit and SKA played in the first KHL outdoor game earlier this season.
