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Kings, Ducks won’t hold outdoor alumni game

dodgerstadiumgetty

For some, six outdoor games might seem like a bit much. Yet Gary Bettman might have a point when he pumps up the local aspect of the individual events; wouldn’t it be more fun if each host city put its own spin on each respective outing?*

In the case of Dodger Stadium’s outdoor game, the first big change - beyond the heightened threat of sunny weather - is that there will not be an alumni game. LA Kings Insider reports that the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks won’t feature heroes of yore ambling up and down the ice as part of the festivities.

Kings/AEG executive Kelly Cheeseman explains why.

“We went through that exercise ad nauseum to try to make that work, because … we were very excited about that possibility,” Cheeseman said. “But, unfortunately, just the logistics and the timing of our game, and the concerns of the ice conditions, aren’t going to allow us to pull off an alumni game ...”

(Of course, it’s hard to ignore the lack of particularly appealing Ducks alumni options since they’re still a relatively new franchise. Well, unless Teemu Selanne retires and we get to see him pair up with Paul Kariya again, though ...)

On the bright side, Cheeseman noted that the event with “definitely represent Southern California.” Feel free to speculate on what, exactly, that means.

* - Or outings, if you’re talking about Yankee Stadium.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins