Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins-Flyers Stadium Series game will be played despite forecasted rain

PHILADELPHIA — If you're headed to the Stadium Series game in Philadelphia on Saturday make sure you pack your rain gear. It'll likely be raining when the puck drops at 8 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field.

Severe Weather Team 11 meteorologist Scott Harbaugh says the Philadelphia area will see on and off rain during the game. At some points, rain could be heavy.

"Rain in large quantities, that can hurt us," Dean Matsuzaki, the NHL's vice president of events, said Monday on the the AccuWeather podcast. "First and foremost, we have to worry about player safety, so rain, snow, things like that."

On Friday, the NHL released the following statement:

"Despite there being some level of precipitation in the forecast, the National Hockey League continues preparations for tomorrow's 2019 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins. The League is monitoring the conditions and, as of now, the game is still on as originally scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 23 at Lincoln Financial Field. The NHL will issue a further update by 12 p.m. ET on Saturday."

The NHL – and the Penguins – are no strangers to weather issues during outdoor games.

  • Snow was falling during the Penguins first outdoor matchup in the Winter Classic in 2008 against the Buffalo Sabres.
  • When the Washington Capitals came to Pittsburgh in 2011 for the Winter Classic, the 1 p.m. game was pushed back to 8 p.m. due to warm temperatures.
  • During the 2017 Stadium Series against the Flyers, it rained in the hours leading up to the game. By game time, temperatures dropped to the 30s with wind chills in the 20s.

There are some guidelines if the game should be postponed or canceled because of the weather, once it's already started:

  • Once the game has begin, it may be subject to one or more temporary stoppages due to unplayable weather conditions, at the discretion of the commissioner.
  • Period and game format may be reconfigured to accommodate temporary stoppages as determined appropriate by the Commissioner.
  • In the event of high winds at the ice surface, the clubs will switch ends at the 10:00 minute mark of the third period as signaled by a "hard whistle." The face off will take place where the play was whistled dead. This identical procedure will take place at the 2:30 minute mark of an overtime period, if needed.
  • In the event of a shootout, each club will determine what end they prefer to defend, which could be the same end.
  • If the game is started, then stopped permanently due to unplayable weather conditions, it will be deemed "official" once two periods have been played. The team leading at the time play is stopped will be declared the winner and will be awarded two points in the standings.
  • If the game is tied at the time play is stopped permanently, any time after two periods of play, each team will be awarded one point in the standings, with an opportunity to earn an additional point in a standard shootout format.
  • If weather conditions permit, the shootout will be conducted at Lincoln Financial Field immediately after regulation play has been stopped. If weather conditions make it impossible to conduct a shootout safely at Lincoln Financial Field, the shootout will take place at PPG Paints Arena on Sunday, March 17 prior to the regularly scheduled Philadelphia-Pittsburgh game, with Philadelphia deemed the home club for shootoutp purposes only.
  • If the game is started, and stopped permanently due to unplayable weather conditions, and fewer than two periods of regular time has been played, the game will be officially "postponed" and, if possible, will be played in its entirety at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Feb. 24. If the game cannot be replayed at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Feb. 24, it will be rescheduled at Wells Fargo Center on a date to be determined later in the season.

You can watch the Stadium Series on Saturday on Channel 11. Our coverage begins at 7 p.m.

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