The outdoor game in Orchard Park, N.Y., between Team USA and Team Canada had it all on Friday.
Wintery scenes, frozen fans, and a high-stakes matchup between two bitter rivals that went down to the wire, providing a unique setting that allowed for some awesome photos from what was a special afternoon of hockey.
Here's a collection of some of the best photos from Canada versus USA at New Era Field:
Hockey in a football stadium, what more could you ask for on beautiful December day?
Plenty of solid end-to-end action, despite a snow-covered ice surface.
Carter Hart stood tall for Canada, but it wasn't enough, as the Americans won 4-3 in a shootout.
The cold temperatures didn't discriminate, affecting both Canadian and American supporters.
Team USA versus Team Canada is always a tight-checking affair, and Friday's contest did not disappoint.
Calgary Flames second-round pick and Team Canada captain Dillion Dube celebrates his first-period goal.
Happier times for the fans in red and white didn't last long, as the Canadians let a 3-1 lead slip away.
Lots of snow and cameramen in the corners at New Era Field.
With a world junior-record crowd of 44,592 on hand in Orchard Park, N.Y., Team USA edged Team Canada by a score of 4-3 in the tournament's first-ever outdoor game thanks to Kieffer Bellows' shootout winner.
The last time hockey was played at New Era Field, it ended in a shootout. The last time Canada and USA squared off at the world juniors, it also ended in a shootout. Predictably, a matchup between Canada and USA at New Era Field also needed a shootout to decide things.
The snow piled down as the game went on at New Era Field - home of the NFL's Buffalo Bills - making simple skills such as stickhandling and passing increasingly difficult. It didn't seem to matter for Bellows though, who also scored his team's first goal of the game.
Sabres' first-round pick Casey Mittelstadt didn't seem to mind the conditions either, as he picked up three assists in the contest.
Special teams were the difference in the first period. Avalanche fourth overall pick Cale Makar notched a power-play tally for Canada less than five minutes into the game following a high-sticking penalty to USA's Dylan Samberg.
Later in the first, Canada once again struck with the man advantage, this time coming off the stick of captain Dillon Dube following Mikey Anderson's holding the stick penalty.
Canada itself took three minor penalties in the period, but escaped unscathed.
Canada's penalty trouble finally caught up to them, however, as Bellows got the Americans on the board with a 5-on-3 goal late in the second.
It didn't take long for the Canadians to respond, though, as Boris Katchouk tipped home Jake Bean's point shot.
In a game between two fierce rivals, there was no shortage of post-whistle scrums. The physicality of the game escalated after Canada's Maxime Comtois leveled American defenseman Ryan Lindgren from behind early in the third period, causing a kerfuffle. This may have been the turning point.
Special teams continued to be an ongoing factor, as Scott Perunovich capitalized on Comtois' penalty, scoring off a sweet give-and-go with Mittelstadt.
Shortly thereafter, Brady Tkachuk notched the equalizing goal to make it 3-3. It wasn't the first time a guy named Brady propelled a comeback at New Era Field.
The U.S. outshot Canada 35-22.
In the shootout, the Americans scored on their first two attempts, while Canada was blanked on all four of their attempts by Dallas Stars prospect Jake Oettinger.
Canada will play Denmark on Saturday, while the United States will battle Finland on Sunday.
A major traffic disruption on the Canadian side of the U.S.-Canada border caused major headaches for fans traveling to the first outdoor game in the history of the World Junior Championship, played between Canada and the United States.
Reports surfaced that the Penguins could consider moving the blue-liner in an effort to shake things up, with the club currently sitting three points outside of a playoff spot.
However, according to Yohe, it does not appear Letang will be used as the bargaining chip to improve the Penguins. The defenseman sits fourth in team scoring with 25 points in 37 games.
With the Feb. 26 trade deadline approaching, general manager Jim Rutherford has little time to fix a club that has won the last two Stanley Cups. Should the Penguins miss the postseason, they'll be the first defending champions to do so since the Los Angeles Kings failed to qualify in 2015.
As for Letang, he was placed on injured reserve Thursday with a lower-body ailment. The injury-riddled blue-liner missed the entirety of the playoffs last season after he underwent neck surgery.
This year was a compelling one in the hockey world for a handful of reasons.
From international intrigue to new domestic frontiers, and from controversial new officiating protocol to trade talk that just wouldn't die, some of 2017's most talked-about subjects were previously unforeseen, while others were all too familiar.
Here are five things that consumed hockey in 2017:
The Olympics
The NHL made it clear in April that it will not take part in the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, much to the chagrin of fans and some of the league's biggest names.
Plenty of other players chimed in, too, both before and after the league made its stance official. Following the announcement, Tyler Seguin admitted he was heartbroken, and Jonathan Toews said the ramifications of the decision could lead to a lockout in 2022.
That left many to wonder whether the KHL would follow through on its threat to prohibit players of all nationalities who play in the Russian-based league from suiting up in Pyeongchang, and that cloud of uncertainty could hover over these Olympics when the calendar flips to 2018.
Expansion
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Expanding the NHL was a huge storyline this year, both in terms of the league's foray into a tantalizing and previously untapped market and its acknowledgement that another long-speculated potential future NHL city was being allowed to apply for a franchise.
The city of Las Vegas intrigued the hockey world long before the Vegas Golden Knights existed, but the league's 31st franchise took shape in 2017. The expansion draft in June - which featured some unprecedented rules - stirred a ton of debate among fans and undoubtedly caused headaches for opposing teams' general managers.
Those GMs had to agree to some questionable side deals to ensure many of their best players wouldn't be chosen by the Golden Knights, so Vegas general manager George McPhee had all the power, and he was quickly able to build what we've now seen is a legitimately competitive club.
The newcomers continued to be a major talking point well into the fall by setting numerous records in the first few months of their inaugural season.
Arguably the most important hockey story of the year didn't come on the men's side.
The U.S. women's national hockey team's fight for better wages and conditions dominated headlines and transcended sport in the lead-up to the Women's World Championship on American soil in the spring.
The players allowed a USA Hockey-imposed deadline to pass without relenting, ultimately forcing the organization to increase its funding and support of the women's program.
The Americans won the Women's World Championship in Michigan with an overtime win over Canada in the gold-medal game, an impressive accomplishment in its own right, but the U.S. women's team's more significant legacy will be the courage the players showed standing up to perceived injustice and the progress they made off the ice.
Matt Duchene
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
The reports and ensuing speculation persisted for months, and when the deal was finally consummated, it had an unexpected wrinkle.
Duchene was, at long last, traded by the Colorado Avalanche in early November, and it took three teams to get it done. The talented center was shipped to the Ottawa Senators and Kyle Turris went from Canada's capital to Music City, giving the Nashville Predators some center depth of their own in a swap that also included several prospects and draft picks.
The Duchene saga dragged on throughout most of 2017, though, with the Senators' interest in him dating back to February, when Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion first acknowledged talking to the Avalanche, then escalating in September when the Senators reportedly ramped up their pursuit.
There was also a failed first attempt at a three-way deal by the same trio of clubs that ultimately succeeded, and teams like the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Boston Bruins reportedly looked into landing Duchene over the summer before Colorado finally found a package to its liking.
The Flames' arena situation
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
One saga that had an impact beyond hockey in 2017 was the Calgary Flames' dispute with local lawmakers over their hypothetical future home, and the fate of their current one, the Scotiabank Saddledome.
The conflict escalated after the club's much ballyhooed "CalgaryNEXT" project fell apart, and soon directly pitted the Flames' ownership group against Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi, who repeatedly insisted taxpayers were unwilling to pay for a new facility.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who in the past said the league doesn't get political, thrust himself into the impasse as well, threatening that there would be "consequences" without a deal for a new arena.
The Flames made a stunning statement in September, announcing they were no longer pursuing a new facility to replace the oldest non-renovated building in the league.
Calgary's arena squabble became the biggest issue in the October mayoral election, which the incumbent Nenshi won, ensuring that the saga likely won't be resolved without more of a commitment from the Flames' owners.
Minnesota Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk will start Friday against the Nashville Predators after missing two weeks with a lower-body injury, head coach Bruce Boudreau confirmed.
Dubnyk has been out since Dec. 8, at which time he was labeled week to week with the ailment.
Alex Stalock has held down the crease in his absence, posting a 5-4-0 record while maintaining a season-long .915 save percentage.
Dubnyk has a .916 save percentage, backstopping the team to a 12-8-2 record in 23 appearances.
League sources indicated Wednesday the most popular Senators players if Dorion wanted to trade remained the likes of winger Mike Hoffman, centres Derick Brassard and Jean-Gabriel Pageau and defenceman Cody Ceci.
Several teams are believed to be interested in Hoffman, with the St. Louis Blues reportedly emerging as the most serious suitors.
Karlsson can become an unrestricted free agent in 2019, and his availability may change if it appears less likely he re-signs with the team.
One name that's not mentioned in the list of players who are off-limits is Matt Duchene, who was acquired in a blockbuster trade earlier this season and is also set to reach UFA status in 2019.
The Maple Leafs acquired Pickard from the Vegas Golden Knights in October, but he's yet to suit up for the big club. He's posted a 10-5-0 record and .919 save percentage through 15 games with the Marlies this season.
Pickard was claimed by the Golden Knights in the expansion draft but was dealt before he appeared in a regular-season game for Vegas. He registered 15 wins and a .904 save rate with the Colorado Avalanche last year.
Any hockey game between Canada and the United States is well worth watching, and Friday's matchup at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship is certainly no exception.
Here are three things you need to know before the Group A showdown:
1. A unique setting
For the first time in world juniors history, a game will be played outdoors. The setting will be New Era Field, the home of the NFL's Bills, located in the Buffalo suburb of Orchard Park.
There, a tournament-record crowd is expected:
IIHF says more than 40,000 expected for tomorrow’s CAN-USA game at New Era Field. Previous WJC high: 20,380 for 2009 gold medal game in Ottawa. #WJC18
It won't be the biggest hockey crowd in the stadium's history, however, as over 71,000 fans attended the NHL's inaugural Winter Classic between the Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008.
According to the Weather Network, the temperature is expected to be 18 degrees Fahrenheit (-8 Celsius) at game time, but it'll really feel like 5 F (-15 C) with the wind. There's also a 60 percent chance of precipitation in the form of lake-effect snow.
2. The story so far
This will be the first meeting between these two countries at the world juniors since USA defeated Canada in a shootout to win gold at last year's tournament.
Canada enters the game with a distinct upper hand, having already beat Finland (4-2) and Slovakia (6-0), and having not played since Wednesday, thereby having all of Thursday to rest and prepare.
Meanwhile, USA opened the tournament with a 9-0 win over Denmark, but surprisingly fell 3-2 to Slovakia on Thursday. That game was an 8 p.m. ET start, which leaves the Americans little time to regroup before the puck drops on Friday afternoon.
Canada, then, sits comfortably in first place in Group A, while USA is tied with Finland and Slovakia for second.
3. Who to watch
So far, the American squad has been led by Casey Mittelstadt, whom the Sabres drafted eight overall this year.
It wasn't enough, but his goal to draw even with Slovakia late in the third period was a show-stopper.
Mittelstadt leads the tournament with three goals through two games, and could further endear himself to his future home crowd with a big game on the big stage.
For Canada, it's Jordan Kyrou leading the way with a goal and three assists, which has him tied for the tournament lead with four points. Like Mittelstadt, Kyrou - who was drafted 35th overall by the St. Louis Blues in 2016 - scored a beauty against Slovakia.
There'll be no shortage of talent at both ends of the ice in this one, and while the setting and conditions may not lead to optimal game play, it should be another memorable meeting between these rival nations.
BUFFALO and ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Both sides in the highly anticipated tilt between Canada and the United States at New Era Field on Friday know full well that while it will undoubtedly be a sight to behold, there's far more to lose in this outdoor affair than in any previous contest of its kind.
Sure, it might look like many of the NHL's modern outdoor "Classics" - be they of the Winter, Heritage, or Centennial variety - but the key figures involved in this world juniors edition know that unlike those midseason matchups played amid 82-game slates, the stakes are unusually high for a spectacle like this.
"This is different," Team USA head coach Bob Motzko said Thursday afternoon following an indoor practice at Buffalo's HarborCenter. "Usually, it's a regular-season game, (but) this is a game that really could have major implications in seeding, so this means something big."
Less than 12 hours later, that comment took on an even deeper meaning as the defending gold medalists were shocked 3-2 by Slovakia - a squad Canada shut out 6-0 on Wednesday night. That stunning result made yet another one of Motzko's observations from Thursday appear rather prescient.
"When you look at the history of these (outdoor) games, they're low-scoring," he said. "So, you've got to get ready to play hard and play heavy, and not make a lot of mistakes in a game like that. I think the excitement will (be) over quickly, and then it's going to be (about) survival."
After an unexpected loss, "survival" is suddenly the priority for the U.S. side.
Meanwhile, Team Canada head coach Dominique Ducharme trusts his players not to forget what's on the line amid all of the distractions.
"I think our guys are mature enough to understand the meaning of the game and the way we want to handle it," he said Thursday following his squad's open-air practice at New Era Field.
While it could determine seeding for the medal round, Ducharme knows the stakes could certainly be higher.
"It's not a do-or-die situation," he said. "We know it's an important game, but we're focused on ourselves before the result."
Still, he made it clear they're taking it very seriously.
"Yes, it's going to be played outdoors, but once it starts, game on."
The weather has also been a significant talking point and could be a factor Friday, as in any game of this ilk, but Ducharme knows that's out of his hands.
"There are (always) things that we don't control, in any game," he said. "(In an) indoor game, you (have) that. Outdoors, there are more things, but you have to concentrate on the things you control, and that's what we're going to do."
Canada's captain, Dillon Dube, said he could barely stand still after going through Thursday's practice in the cold.
"That was my first time on pretty much pond ice in a long time. It was a little different, it was weird, but overall, right now I'm just shaking thinking about the game (Friday). It's incredible."
The other major subplot is, of course, the heated rivalry between the two North American nations, and Team Canada defenseman Jake Bean admitted he still hasn't fully come to terms with the crushing shootout loss to the United States in last tournament's gold-medal game.
"(I haven't for) quite some time. I don't know if anyone's over it yet," he said. "It's kind of something that sits in the back of your mind, and I think a lot of the guys are excited to get back out there (and face the U.S.) again."
Team Canada blue-liner Dante Fabbro, who was also on the previous team with Bean, said Thursday he and the others who endured the heartbreaking defeat have used it as motivation and a learning experience.
"It was obviously a pretty tough experience last (tournament), but all the returnees definitely learned from what happened and kind of implemented that into our team this year. Obviously, we want to finish the job and get the upper hand early on in the tournament."
Given what happened to the U.S. on Thursday night, Canada does have the upper hand for now, but an American victory Friday would get the hosts right back in medal-round contention.
A game that already had so many compelling storylines just got even more interesting.
