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AHL draws record crowd with outdoor game

ahloutdoorgetty

James

As it turns out, outdoor games aren’t just a great draw for the NHL and NCAA.

The AHL’s Hershey Bears and Adirondack Phantoms drew 45,653 fans to their own outdoor tussle at Citizens Bank Park, the same site as the 2012 Winter Classic, breaking the minor league’s attendance record in the process.

In fact, the game blew out the league’s two other outdoor games, which peaked at 21,508 fans who attended a Syracuse, N.Y. game. NHL.com reveals that Philadelphia now holds the AHL attendance records for both regular season and playoff games.

As far as the contest itself, the Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers affiliate) topped the Bears (Washington Capitals affiliate) 4-3 thanks to Shane Harper’s overtime goal. If that spoiler fails to ruin your urge to watch the game,* you can check it out on the NHL Network on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.

* - Oops, should I have given you an alert, there? Sorry. (Cackles evilly.)