The stands are filled with blue and gold. Thousands of people have come to cheer on the home team. The puck drops and the fans start screaming. This is the Winter Classic.
The Winter Classic is the most hyped men’s hockey game of the season, and this year the 4th annual event is expected to be the biggest ever. The UBC Thunderbirds will take on the Lethbridge Pronghorns at 7:00 pm on Friday January 19 at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. You don’t want to miss it.
While the UBC-version of the Winter Classic is not an outdoor hockey game played in subzero temperatures like the NHL one, this new tradition has become a must-attend event on the calendar for UBC students.
The stakes are high, and the T-Birds need all the support they can get. As it stands, the team is tied with Lethbridge for fourth place in the Canada West division and will be fighting the Pronghorns for a playoff spot in the Canada West division.
The UBC Thunderbirds Men’s Hockey team is made up of some extremely skilled athletes, many of whom have played in the Western Hockey League (WHL) and are now back at school getting an education. It will be fast-paced, hard-hitting, and (hopefully) high-scoring hockey.
Even if you’re not a die-hard sports fan, the Winter Classic is an event in and of itself. Festivities begin at 5:00 pm at the outdoor festival zone, where you can enjoy hockey skills games and DJs spinning pumped-up tunes.
The festival also extends inside the arena, where there will be all kinds of activities , including live music, huge inflatable games, face painting, and sign-making stations, and a mechanical bull for those looking for a thrashing.
Giveaways and prizes will be held throughout the night. And did I mention cheap beer and great food? Last year, tickets were sold out with over 5,000 fans in attendance. This year they expect the same.
Whether you like sports or not, it's a new term, a new start, and the Winter Classic is a fresh way to connect to the UBC community. It’s not everyday that you get to be a part of a major UBC event and the Winter Classic is definitely a bucket-list event.
Tickets are on sale now. You can buy them at booths on campus, or at the door on game night, and online. Tickets to the event are $12 for adults, $8 for seniors and youth, and $5 for UBC students.
