The West Coast of the U.S. and Canada received hit with sub-zero temperatures over the weekend as a chilly entrance swept by means of the Midwest. Northern California and Southern Oregon reported uncommon seasonal lows round -5 and -10 C, leading to excessive chilly that even froze over Hayward Area on the College of Oregon, reworking probably the most well-known tracks on the earth right into a skating rink.
As a substitute of carrying spikes for his or her Monday morning exercise, the Oregon Geese monitor and subject crew was seen skating on the monitor, turning their standard apply into extra of a speed-skating session.
You don’t see ice skating at Hayward Area day by day.
🎥 Simeon Birnbaum’s IG pic.twitter.com/Wif8SlWi0J
— chris nickinson (@chrisnickinson) January 16, 2024
The video was posted to Oregon freshman Simeon Birnbaum’s Instagram story on Monday, the place he was additionally seen sporting a Group Canada equipment T-shirt. Though Birnbaum is from South Dakota, he has Canadian roots, having spent his early years in Alberta, the place he discovered to skate, based on Runnerspace. He transitioned from hockey to trace in his early teenage years and is now a sub-four-minute miler with the College of Oregon monitor and subject crew below coach Jerry Schumacher.
The sight of individuals skating on Hayward Area has sparked just a few concepts. Firstly, envision an epic NHL Winter Basic recreation in that stadium. With a capability of as much as 25,000 followers and oval-shaped grandstands harking back to an NHL area, the venue may present a really perfect setting and environment for a recreation.
I do know the latest Winter Basic between the Seattle Kraken and Las Vegas Golden Knights at MLB stadium T-Cell Park in Seattle on Jan. 1, accommodated far more followers than Hayward, however let’s get NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on the telephone to rearrange a future Winter Basic matchup between the Seattle Kraken and L.A. Kings at Hayward.
The second thought includes Hayward Area internet hosting a long-track velocity skating World Cup occasion in January or February. This cross-up between two of the preferred summer time and winter Olympic occasions could be unreal. Whereas I’m no professional in velocity skating, I’d solely suppose that having monitor meet-style races may very well be extremely entertaining, particularly if wind or snow turns into an element. Although the College of Oregon won’t allow both occasion, it doesn’t harm to begin the thrill.
