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Outdoor games in Russia sound fun

Ilya Bryzgalov

The upcoming Winter Classic (Jan. 2 on NBC!) won’t be Ilya Bryzgalov’s first outdoor hockey game. As reported by CSNPhilly.com, the Flyers’ goalie also played one in Russia during the mid-90s. And by the sounds of it, the fans at Citizens Bank Park will have their work cut out to match the...atmosphere.

“It was really cold,” recalls Bryzgalov. “A big, drunk crowd. Fights. Very entertaining because the fans were right behind the boards.

“Some of the guys, you dig the puck in the corner, and fans yelling and grabbing and they start to fight and punching each other and yelling at the players. That was very entertaining.”

Now, this is normally the part where a blogger includes a lazy shot at Philly sports fans. Something like, “Hey, if any group can punch each other like a bunch of drunk Russians, it’s Philly sports fans.”

Instead, here’s a classic Yakov Smirnoff commercial.