Live discussion: Kings, Ducks and the NHL playoff race

Join Times Kings writer Lisa Dillman and hockey Hall of Famer Helene Elliott at 1 p.m. today for a live video discussion of the Kings, Ducks and the NHL. You will be able to ask them questions during the chat, which will take place on this blog post.

One of the topics that will no doubt come up is the possible Winter Classic game next season between the Ducks and Kings that may take place in Dodger Stadium. As Elliott wrote earlier this week,

“An outdoor game between the Kings and the Ducks, to be played amid the palm trees and history of Dodger Stadium, is moving closer to reality.

“Details are still being negotiated, but plans call for the teams to face off in a regular-season game on Jan. 25, 2014, using the portable rink and refrigeration equipment the NHL owns and has deployed at sites such as Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Boston’s Fenway Park.

“A formal announcement is tentatively set for April 17 or 18. The NHL Players’ Assn. must approve components of the plan, and the NHL and the Dodgers must agree on financial aspects, including the division of revenue, but no snags have cropped up that appear big enough to derail a project the Kings have energetically promoted.

“The game would be played at night to avoid sun on the ice. The rink could be in place a week before and a week afterward to stage community events, minor league games or alumni games with Dodger Stadium as a stunning backdrop. The Kings are considering designing a special commemorative uniform that would be worn only for that game.

“The Kings and New York Rangers played an exhibition game in the parking lot outside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 1991, memorable for the ice being overrun by grasshoppers. The NHL has since favored cold-weather cities for outdoor games, but advances in technology and the novelty of a game in Southern California won over skeptics who opposed a warm-weather site.

“The game between the Kings and Ducks would be the first of two outdoor games that weekend. The second would be played Jan. 26 in New York, with Yankee Stadium the preferred venue.”

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