MINNEAPOLIS — In just a few days, thousands of hockey fans will fill Target Field in Minneapolis for the NHL Winter Classic.
The game starts at 6 p.m. Saturday and the matchup features the hometown Minnesota Wild against the St. Louis Blues.
It's not the first time Minnesota's been the site of an outdoor NHL event. Back in 2016, the Wild hosted the Chicago Blackhawks at TCF Bank Stadium as part of the league's stadium series.
But every winter is different and you never know what Mother Nature is going to throw at you.
Luckily, the snow crew for the Winter Classic is prepared for everything winter can bring.
Instead of shoveling out nearly 40,000 seats by hand, workers had a plan.
Nearly every section was covered so the snow stayed on top and workers then used a system of slides to send the snow down onto the field.
The leftover snow was then blown away with large leaf blowers.
Wednesday afternoon crews were also working on a 2nd sheet of ice just behind the rink.
The NHL says in the coming days that ice will be turned into several lakes, a tribute to the 10,000 lakes of Minnesota.
During the game on Saturday youth hockey players will skate on the icy lakes to create a wintry scene during the live television broadcast.
But no matter how much you prepare, how much snow you pull out of the ballpark, there's really nothing you can do to warm it up during cold temperatures like these.
So, if you're going to the game, you're going to want to bundle up, especially if there is some wind. Starting Tuesday some downtown streets will shut down for the Winter Classic.
Part of Sixth Street and First Avenue are included.
These road closures start Tuesday and will be in place until Sunday afternoon.
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