Time to go play outside. The NHL Winter Classic on Monday features the Pittsburgh Penguins against the Boston Bruins at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.
This is the NHL’s second time playing in front of the Green Monster, the first coming in 2010. Since the Winter Classic began in 2008, the game has been played at a baseball stadium six times.
However, for the 110-year-old Fenway Park, this has been an active period for sports other than baseball. On Dec. 17, the stadium hosted the Wasabi Fenway Bowl between the Louisville Cardinals and Cincinnati Bearcats.
Here’s what the baseball stadium, which has hosted 11 World Series, looked like as a football stadium and hockey rink.
It’s beginning to look a lot like football. 🏈 pic.twitter.com/QRmMDoUp7l
— Wasabi Fenway Bowl (@FenwayBowl) December 13, 2022
A change of scenery.#WinterClassic pic.twitter.com/NhiLMnrxZ9
— Fenway Park (@fenwaypark) January 1, 2023
Pens get on the board first
After going 11 games without a goal, Kasperi Kapanen dropped to his knees and nailed a quick shot for the game’s first score.
HAPPY KAPPY = HAPPY PENGUINS FANS. pic.twitter.com/vab8BangRt
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 2, 2023
Boston royalty
Two great Boston athletes — Bruins great Bobby Orr and former Red Sox captain Jason Veritek — handled the ceremonial puck drop/”first pitch.”
Bobby Orr and Jason Varitek conduct the ceremonial “first puck pitch” at Fenway Park! @NHL | #WinterClassic pic.twitter.com/bM9XlnQ5GJ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 2, 2023
Michelangelo’s David (Pastrnak Pasta Sculpture)
At the Winter Classic fan fest near Fenway Park, one assumes they’ll find puck shooting competitions, hockey swag and copious amounts of pregame beverages. One does not assume there will be modern art … like a statue of Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak made of spaghetti and tomato sauce.
The sculpture was called “David Pastrnak, In Pasta” — with “Pasta” being the nickname of the Bruins’ leading goal scorer. The 24-inch statue was created using a special pasta and resin concoction by artist Adam Parker Smith, who had previous transformed Grecian amphoras using the same pasta process.
Come for Winter Classic hockey, stay for the modern art. Adam Parker Smith’s Pasta In Pasta, a sculpture of David Pastrnak of the @NHLBruins. Will be auctioned for charity. pic.twitter.com/SKXcUppopW
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) January 2, 2023
“Pasta in Pasta is meant to capture the full persona of the Bruins star,” read a description on the display.
The Pastrnak statue isn’t meant to just enrich one artistically but also financially bolster a local charity.
The Pasta statue will be auctioned off, with the proceeds donated to the Keith Garman Memorial Hockey Fund, that supports the hockey program and players at Greater Johnstown High School. It’s a fund named for the late Keith Garman, a former team chef for the Bruins, who died in 2022 at age 33. — Greg Wyshynski
Drone’s eye view
Take a fly through Fenway. 🤩
The views are incredible for today’s 2023 @Discover NHL #WinterClassic at 2p ET on @Sportsnet, @NHL_On_TNT, and @TVASports!@Timbaland X @beatclub pic.twitter.com/vMVAjO8sZ3
— NHL (@NHL) January 2, 2023
Pregame fashion
While playing at a baseball stadium, the Penguins are fitting into the surroundings. Jake Guentzel, Jan Rutta, Bryan Rust, Jason Zucker and other members of the team dressed in vintage Pittsburgh Pirates uniforms before the game. Goalie Casey DeSmith even put on the catcher’s gear.
Honoring the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates with some fresh fits for Fenway 💯 pic.twitter.com/6uSX8Etc5g
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 2, 2023
Goalie = puck ‘catcher’ pic.twitter.com/IyJvwpqWoo
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 2, 2023
The 1925 Pirates defeated the Washington Senators to win the franchise’s second World Series title.
The Bruins arrived at the stadium in vintage Red Sox uniforms.
The @RedSox, et, @NHLBruins arrive at the Winter Classic: pic.twitter.com/7feeOeYTOK
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) January 2, 2023
“It’s a 1937, so I guess that’s kind of what we’re reenacting with the whole outfit,” Bruins forward Charlie Coyle told ESPN.
As he did an interview with a local sports network, Coyle smashed his hand into his baseball glove.
“I think some guys broke theirs in. I can barely [move my hand],” he said, laughing. “It’s pretty cool. You can’t believe guys wore something like this. It’s pretty different now.”
Sunday at the park
Prior to the Monday game, both teams were at Fenway. Besides hockey, there was Wiffle ball and even dancing.
Hey, at least we’re having fun ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/SRH2x8hG88
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 1, 2023
Cliffy Walk Off. ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/2awcx7Icca
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 1, 2023
A Classic Conga. pic.twitter.com/f4qKxbrEsI
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 1, 2023
Pastrnak’s Fenway stick
If Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak has a monstrous game during the Winter Classic, full credit might go to his Green Monster of a stick.
Over the weekend, Pastrnak revealed his specially designed lumber and skates for the Jan. 2 outdoor game. Both have green that mimics the iconic left-field wall at Fenway and stitching reminiscent of a baseball. They include the Winter Classic logo and a mockup of the scoreboard at Fenway.
The Bruins winger has his personal logo on the skates and stick, both created by Bauer Hockey.
Pasta knows how to do it up. 🏒⛸️⚾️#WinterClassic | @pastrnak96 pic.twitter.com/nwMlFXBwpA
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 1, 2023
One of the more unusual touches: the logo of Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz on the shaft of the stick and on the side of the skate. “Hopefully, he can bring me some luck and I score a couple of home runs into the net,” Pastrnak said.
Of course, Pastrnak might not need much assistance in the goal-scoring department: He leads Boston with 25 tallies this season. — Greg Wyshynski