There is a notion that by time the outdoor hockey craze at a high level -- either college or pro -- made its way to Minnesota, people were a little bored by the notion.
There is probably some truth to that, but we will also say this: an event like the Hockey City Classic needed to happen in Minnesota, and even if it's a little late ... well, better late than never.
Here is the first picture we took from the night -- midway through the Gophers women's game against Minnesota State, which is 3-0 Gophers heading into the third period. There's not much of a crowd here yet. We'll try to update a couple of more times as we roam the stands collecting other images and video.
We also know this: Those metal bleachers are going to be cold tonight.
