Cold and dark: NHL stars dread playing in this Canadian city
Digital Reporter
Monday, January 8, 2018, 7:51 PM - Turns out Winnipeg -- and its weather -- isn't for everyone, with some members of the San Jose Sharks claiming Winnipeg is the worst NHL city to play in.
In a video posted to Twitter on the NBC Sports California page, Sharks' sniper Thomas Hertl said he doesn't like the city because it's "cold and dark."
Defenceman Justin Braun weighed in as well, saying the team's hotel is "questionable" and wondering aloud if the city has Wi-Fi. Defenceman Tim Heed also ranked Winnipeg last.
The comments were made ahead of a Sunday game between the Sharks and the Winnipeg Jets, who defeated the visiting team with a score of 4-1.
Jets' spokesperson Scott Brown told the CBC he hadn't seen the video, but he is aware some people have negative opinions about the city.
"The widely held misperception of the city is one of the challenges we face as an organization and one of the reasons we always say it is important for us as an organization to treat the players properly and show them what a special organization and place this can be," he told CBC.
Meanwhile, Dayna Spiring, president and CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg, had another theory why the Sharks aren't Winnipeg wannabes. "Given that the Jets beat the Sharks 4-1, I can understand that they don't like Winnipeg. It's never fun to lose," she mused to the CBC.
Still -- those who shy away from the cold might have a hard time warming up to Winnipeg.
Night time lows around -40°C aren't uncommon in the winter, with an average winter temperature of -12 degrees Celsius.
While summer is short compared to other provinces -- Winnipeg has snow on the ground an average of 132 days of the year -- the city can get quite warm, with average summer temperatures in the mid-to-high twenties.
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