HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – Even in the dark shadows cast by the yellow street lamps, the Halifax Forum bricks look faded, some bleached, by decades of sun, salt and snow. There is one main entrance, one ticket area and one level around which fans can walk.
The bowl of the arena seats less than 5,000, 75 percent of whom will sit in wide seats.
The rest sit on bleachers, and all seating is general admission.
Perhaps the most noticeable design element is the press seating area and sound booth, located on opposite sides of the arena.
The press box is suspended from the ceiling directly above the players’ benches. A post descends from the box to ice level, and provides for limited obstruction for a few fans. In symmetrical fashion, the sound booth is suspended on the other side of the ice, above the penalty boxes.
At ice level, there are two rows of seats directly against the glass, with little separating the fans from the players’ benches. The boards are low, and the glass dangerously so.
With a delay-of-game penalty automatic for players who flip the puck out of play in the defensive zone, puck control by the blueliners will be a big part of both teams’ strategies.
Valuable asset
Halifax goalie Jeremy Duchesne play has been stellar thus far.
“Of course it helps last year having gone deep into the playoffs,” said Duchesne. “It puts you into those situations where, you know, sometimes you might not expect it. You get used to it, and it’s less stressful.”
Accolades have been pouring in from both sides of the ice, and from the Lewiston fans, who gave Duchesne a standing ovation when he was announced as Game 1’s first star of the game after making 39 saves on 40 shots in the Halifax win.
“He’s the reason they won the game,” said Maineiacs coach Clem Jodoin after Game 1.
In Game 2, Duchesne was equally impressive, stopping 35 of 36 Lewiston shots.
“Duchesne has been fantastic, he was great again (Saturday) night,” said Maineiacs assistant coach Ed Harding. “We had 40 shots (Friday) and 36 again tonight, so we out-chanced them.”
Of course, Duchesne’s own coach was well cognizant of his goaltender’s capabilities.
“Jeremy was steady (Saturday) night,” said Halifax coach Al MacAdam. “I thought he was very good. He gave us a chance to win, and that’s always what we’re looking for from him.”
Imminent return?
Derek Bailey got to do something Saturday morning he hadn’t done in a very long time: The Maineiacs’ forward laced up his skates and worked out on the ice.
“That felt good,” said Bailey. “It’s been a while.”
While there is no date set for his return, the fact that he skated at all was a welcome sight to the few fans gathered at the skate.
Still, Bailey looked plenty winded after several laps, and he never did put full pressure on his knees while shooting.
Smooth ride
Perhaps the Maineiacs should have knocked on wood immediately upon arriving at the Citadel Hotel in Halifax: There were no travel issues on the way.
The team left the Colisee Sunday morning at 9 a.m. after packing up the bus, stopped once for lunch in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and arrived in Halifax at 6:30 p.m. (Eastern time).
The team unloaded the bus at the venerable Halifax Forum and continued on the one-and-a-half-mile trek to the hotel.
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