BOSTON — Summer vacation came early this year for the Norris family of Salem, N.H.
After staying two nights in a nearby hotel, George Norris and his three sons headed to Fenway Park yesterday for the Winter Classic outdoor hockey game between the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers.
"This is our family vacation," said Norris from his $350 seat high above left field. "I hope they realize that come July."
America's oldest major league ballpark was transformed into a winter wonderland yesterday for the National Hockey League's third annual outdoor game on New Year's Day.
For those who attended, there was no better way to ring in a new decade — particularly after the hometown hockey club provided some late-game heroics. The Bruins came from behind and won in overtime, 2-1.
"I think it's right up there with the 2004 Super Bowl," said Lawrence-native Bill Foster, referring to the second of three championships won by the Patriots. "From taking in the atmosphere to the hype of the crowd ... I love it."
Watching the game from their field-level seats on the first base line, Foster and childhood friend Frank Judge couldn't help but remember skating outdoors as kids on a flooded field at the Alexander B. Bruce School in Lawrence.
Two local youth hockey teams were lucky enough to make some memories of their own yesterday.
After winning an essay contest sponsored by the Bruins, the Methuen Squirt 2 and Andover Girls' U12 squads were among 20 youth teams across New England to attend the Classic.
Methuen coach Charlie Kattar said 20 of his 9- and 10-year-old players rode in a limousine to Fenway yesterday before taking in the game from behind the Red Sox dugout.
Andover coach Brian Babcock sat with a dozen of his players in the outfield behind the visitor's bullpen.
"For a baseball game it would be perfect," said Babcock. "Watching the game is a little difficult. You can't see the ice surface."
Despite the difficult sight lines, tickets to the Winter Classic were going for more than $550 in the months leading up to the game.
The NHL pulled out all the stops for the event. There were fireworks after the game along with a ceremony naming the roster for the U.S. Olympic ice hockey team that will compete in Vancouver next month.
Pregame festivities included a concert at home plate by Boston rock band The Dropkick Murphys. James Taylor sang the Star Spangled Banner and Bruins legend Bobby Orr dropped the puck to get things started.
"When Bobby Orr came on, everybody was going, 'Bobby, Bobby, Bobby,'" said Ryan Sullivan, 12, a 7th grader at North Andover Middle School. "Everyone's really into it."
Ryan's father, Jim Sullivan, also of North Andover, said their seats behind home plate cost $460 each.
But they were well worth it, he said.
"It's as much for the hockey game as it is for the atmosphere," he said. "They've really made this into a true spectacle."
