Several N.H.L. players and an Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater boarded helicopters bound for mountains outside Vancouver, British Columbia, to play pickup hockey in a picturesque setting.
Several N.H.L. players and an Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater boarded helicopters bound for mountains outside Vancouver, British Columbia, to play pickup hockey in a picturesque setting.
For One Day, the N.H.L. Arena Moved to the Mountains
By Gerald NarcisoPhotographs by Devin Olsen and Zachary MoxleyNovember 29, 2020
It was Saturday, Nov. 7 and there were no N.H.L. games. With the season start targeted for January but not yet finalized, several N.H.L. players — including the 2019 rookie of the year, Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks — as well as the Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater, Patrick Chan, boarded two helicopters and disappeared off the grid.
With their hockey sticks and skates in tow, they were ushered to the top of a mountain, roughly 65 miles northeast of Vancouver, British Columbia. What they discovered at 6,000 feet was magnificent.
The stunt was the brainchild of Bradley Friesen, a local helicopter pilot and social media influencer who is an expert in scouting British Columbia’s most spectacular terrain. It’s not uncommon for him to organize impromptu sporting events on untouched outdoor playgrounds.
On a ride in late October, Friesen noticed that massive blocks of glacier ice submerged in the lake had floated to the top. Once the lake froze weeks later, the icebergs remained and Friesen took advantage of the dramatic backdrop, spending four days preparing a makeshift rink.
Before the helicopter flights, all Transport Canada Covid-19 safety protocols were followed, Friesen said. Each passenger completed a pre-screen questionnaire and received temperature checks. Masks were worn during the 30-minute ride.
Chan and his wife, the Canadian figure skater Elizabeth Putnam, were the first to arrive just after 7 a.m. They immediately hopped on the ice. “My triple axel days are long gone,” joked Chan, who retired in 2018 after winning gold in the team event in South Korea.
Nearing 11 a.m., 10 hockey players, including Elias Pettersson, Thatcher Demko, Alexander Edler and Zack MacEwen of the Canucks; Troy Stecher of the Red Wings; and the free agent Jason Garrison, arrived on the mountain.
Red team vs. Blue team. With a single net, the men played two games of “half-ice,” hockey’s answer to halfcourt basketball.
“A lot of the guys said it was like out of ‘Mystery, Alaska,’” said Friesen, referring to the 1999 hockey film starring Russell Crowe.
By noon, the sun pierced through the cracks of the mountains. The temperature was just below the freezing point and winds were gusting at about 18 miles per hour. Icebergs served as natural boards, helping to stop rapid-fired pucks.
“The humbling feeling of how great everything is around you and how small it makes you feel.” said Putnam.
“The icebergs looked like big marshmallows!” Chan said.
Demko, one of the breakout stars of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, didn’t play favorites while tending the net for both teams. Each won a game. The sun made it difficult to see at times and the five-inch thick ice was slippery.
Who says figure skaters can’t play hockey?
“Just the skill level is unbelievable,” Chan said of facing the pros.
Before social media influencers, word of mouth made Friesen a pilot to the stars.
Friesen, along with his Instagram-famous dog Mr. Bentley, has given aerial tours of B.C.’s backroads to celebrities and athletes like Kevin Love and the actress Hilary Swank.
“To show off my backyard and show the world where I live? That gives me a lot of pleasure,” he said.
The sun was fading around 2 p.m. Everyone was cold and ready to return to civilization. Everyone, that is, except Pettersson.
“When’s the next time I’ll be able to skate at the top of the mountains?” he quipped.
As the helicopters prepared to take off, Edler vowed to Friesen that they will have to do this again soon. But next time, Edler said, they’ll bring a barbecue and a cooler full of beers.
But that will have to wait. Later that evening, British Columbia implemented new public gathering restrictions as coronavirus cases have surged.
Pettersson still found a silver lining.
 “If the season was going on, I probably wouldn’t be able to do this,” he said.
Gerald Narciso is a correspondent based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Produced by Elijah Walker and Evan Easterling