NHL has no plans to play outdoor game at Lake Louise

The NHL has no plans for more pond hockey anytime soon.

Speaking to media in Calgary ahead of the Flames’ game against the Dallas Stars, commissioner Gary Bettman poured some cold water on the idea of playing a game at Lake Louise.

“In terms of having a picturesque site that would be magnificent, but I don’t know that as a reality it could happen,” Bettman said on Tuesday after touring Scotia Place — the soon-to-be new home of the Flames that’s among the front-runners to host the 2028 World Cup of Hockey.

“That’s federal land around Lake Louise, and the regulations might make it next to impossible to deal with in terms of what we would have to do and how people who worry about those aspects of the environment wouldn’t like it.

“Logistically it’s a little hard because you don’t have any infrastructure. Economically it’s a little hard because you have no fans.”

The league has adventured down a similar path before, playing two games at Lake Tahoe in 2021.

The result?

A rink was built on the 18th fairway of a local golf course, there were no fans because of the pandemic and poor ice conditions during the Vegas Golden Knights-Colorado Avalanche game — the first of the two contests — led to an eight-hour delay and subsequent scheduling changes.