NHL fans brave the outdoors to enjoy annual Winter Classic
Capitals and Blackhawks fans go back to the roots of the game as they watch the annual Winter Classic in freezing weather at a baseball arena
You need a good reason to brave near-freezing New Year's Day temperatures, perhaps nursing a hangover, and trek all the way out to a baseball stadium.
Like ice hockey, played outdoors.
Nearly 43,000 fans did just that to watch the hometown Washington Capitals beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 at Nationals Park, home to Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals.
We play hockey in baseball stadiums because we can ... If you get back to the roots of the game, you played outside
That's well over double the maximum capacity of 18,500 at the Capital's usual home ice, the downtown Verizon Centre, and symbolic of the popularity of open-air professional hockey.
"We play hockey in baseball stadiums because we can," quipped Matthew Tucker, 23, sporting a red Capitals jersey as he hung out with friends - Blackhawk fans, actually.
"If you get back to the roots of the game, you played outside," added Tucker, who grew up playing hockey on frozen ponds in upstate New York.
Most NHL games unfold in comfortable heated indoor arenas, with the gladiatorial action playing itself out on pristine artificial ice.