Dave Hakstol looking for outfit suggestions for Winter Classic
Dec. 22—GRAND FORKS — The first time Dave Hakstol coached in an outdoor game, he and his staff hit a home run with their wardrobe selections.
They pulled out their old UND letterman jackets — Hakstol, Brad Berry and Dane Jackson all were former UND players — and wore them for the outdoor game against Omaha at T.D. Ameritrade Park, the site of the College World Series.
His team delivered in the event, too.
UND beat Omaha 5-2 in front of 13,650 — most of which were UND fans who made the trip.
Hakstol, who coached in one other outdoor game with the Philadelphia Flyers, will be headed back outside on Jan. 1 to coach in one of the NHL's biggest regular-season events, the Winter Classic.
The Seattle Kraken will take on the Vegas Golden Knights at 2 p.m. on New Year's Day at T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners.
It has been tradition for teams and coaching staffs to find a unique and appropriate wardrobes for the Winter Classic.
Hakstol recently said on a podcast, he'll take any suggestions.
"I've seen some of the outfits the team has picked," the Kraken head coach said on the NHL's @TheRink podcast. "I know our guys have picked some. We'll wait for the reviews. I think it's going to be pretty awesome. (The coaches) need some help. We need some suggestions. I'm not sure we can one-up what's been done. We'll try to find something that's classic and something that's suitable to the Pacific Northwest as well."
Hakstol said he can start to feel the excitement building for the game.
"There's a buildup to this event," Hakstol said on the podcast. "The NHL does such a great job of building up to that event. There's a lot of excitement in and around Seattle for the game. It's coming close. It's not that far away."
It's an important one for Seattle, which is trying to climb back into the playoff race.
The Kraken have 31 points, which is five points out of the final playoff spot. They've been plagued by overtime losses. They lead the NHL with nine overtime losses.
Hakstol, who has been Seattle's head coach from the start, praised the community's passion and said it will embrace the Winter Classic.
"Seattle is a phenomenal sports city," Hakstol said. "For anybody who has spent any time in and around the Pacific Northwest, it doesn't take long to figure out how passionate the entire community is about sports in general from pro sports through college sports through youth sports.
"Hockey has taken hold. There is some deep-rooted history with hockey in the area. But right from the advent as the Kraken burst onto the scene, it's continued to grow, especially with Year 2 success with a playoff appearance, a playoff win. The significant growth and how it's grabbed the community — and vice versa — has been really impressive."
