I bought a ticket to the NHL Stadium Series at Dodger Stadium then learnt that the city bus was not going to leave LAUPT until 90 minutes before the game. Since I wanted to see KISS before the game, I had to come up with a plan and decided to do my usual train ride in the morning, getting a Metrolink Weekend Day Pass to come back from Oceanside. I listened to Let's Talk Trains for the segment that I had not heard before I planned to take Metrolink 665 to Los Angeles then the Gold Line one stop to Chinatown before walking to Dodger Stadium. That was my plan to get there and I drove down to the Santa Ana station and watched a late train arrive.
Pacific Surfliner 572 heading down to San Diego.
Metrolink 665 arrived and I boarded it for the trip to LAUPT.
Two views of the new Anaheim ARTIC station under construction. I enjoyed the ride to LAUPT and all too soon we arrived there.
Metrolink 665 at rest. I walked to the Gold Line station where my wait was short.
The Gold Line train arrived and I boarded for my one stop to Chinatown.
I detrained for the Gold Line at Chinatown and from here walked west on College Avenue for three blocks then turned right on Yates Street for two blocks to a walkway over the CA 110 Harbor Freeway.
Downtown Los Angeles. I then walked up Stadium Way to the road into Dodger Stadium and this is where I came upon a locked gate. I saw the first car in line only had three passengers and asked if I could join them. They said yes so we then talked baseball stadiums, concerts and Kiss Concerts that we had seen. At 3:00 PM the gate was opened and after they paid, we drove after they up into the Dodger stadium parking lot and parked. I thanked them and said my goodbyes and headed off to find the gate to enter the park.
The Stadium Series was over everything at Dodger Stadium.
I learned that the gates would not open until 4:30 PM so sat down and made a few new friends while we waited. I was able to hear KISS doing the sound check for their show then at 4:30 PM, I was one of the first people to enter Dodger Stadium and bought a Dodger Dog and a Coca-Cola then went and found my seat, or so I thought.
The little street hockey rink.
The game ice sheet was still covered to protect it from the direct rays of the sun.
KISS would play from this stage which was in right field.
They had beach volleyball in left field.
Two views from this seat.
On the video screens were shown Plays of the Week along with Saves and Hits of the Week as well as the Top Twenty Winter Classic Moments as we waited.
The protection sheets were being taken off the game ice surface.
In 2012, the Los Angeles Kings became the first 8th seed to win a Stanley Cup and the first NHL Club to take 3-0 leads into all four playoff series.
The warmest temperature at the opening face-off for an outdoor regular season game was 51 degrees Fahrenheit at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh for the 2011 Bridgestone Winter Classic between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals. We wiped out that warmest record today with a game start temperature of 65 degrees tonight.
Two more views from this seat.
The protection sheets were still coming off and I was told that where I was sitting was my seat, but someone looked at my ticket when they came and told me I was one level down closer to the action so I moved to my rightful seat.
The children were warming up to play their first street hockey game of the event.
You could see the Hollywood sign from here.
The children have meetings with their coaches and the game ice sheet was exposed.
Another layer of ice is added to the ice sheet.
While the game ice was being taken care of, the children started their game.
All this ice sheet needs are the goals, but the ice sheet needed one more item.
The Zambonis were now able to work on the ice surface.
The goals were added and now everyone waited for the teams to take the ice for pre-game warm ups.
The Los Angeles Kings came out of the third base dugout.
The Anaheim Ducks came out of the first base dugout.
The Anaheim Ducks warmed up on their side.
The Los Angeles Kings warmed up on the other side.
Jonathan Quick, No. 32, Kings goalie and member of the 2014 United States Olympic Men's Hockey Team.
Anze Kopitar, No. 11, Member of the 2014 Slovenian Olympic Men's Hockey Team.
Drew Doughty, No. 8, was leading the Los Angeles Kings with 28:00 minutes of game time and was a member of the 2014 Canada Olympic Men's Hockey Team.
Jeff Carter, No. 77, was leading the Kings with 20 goals this season and was also a member of the 2014 Canada Olympic Men's Hockey Team.
Dustin Brown, No. 23, member of the 2014 United States Olympic Men's Hockey Team.
Those children love to play street hockey.
KISS arrived at the back of their stage to be ready to start their pre-game concert.
KISS started with "Lick It Up".
Paul Stanley, long-time KISS member.
KISS playing on stage at the 2014 Stadium Series at Dodger Stadium.
Paul Stanley plays the rhythm guitar player in this band and is the Starchild.
Eric Singer is the current drummer.
Another view of the Starchild on the scoreboard.
Gene Simmons, the Demon, is the bass guitar player and another long-time member.
The boys at the front of the stage.
Tommy Thayer is the lead guitar player. Next the band played "Rock and Roll All Night".
"Rock and Roll All Night".
The Demon doing what he does best.
The end of "Rock and Roll All Night"; KISS would be back at the end of the first period.
The USC Marching Band was ready to enter the stadium.
Next Vin Scully and Bob Miller welcomed us all to the 2014 Stadium Series at Dodger Stadium tonight.
Next the USC Marching Band entered the stadium and played two songs.
After that the teams marched into the stadium from center field.
As the USC Marching Band played on.
The Anaheim Ducks were doing their pre-game skating.
The Los Angeles Kings were doing the same thing.
Jordin Sparks sang "The Star Spangled Banner".
Both teams were lined up on their blue lines.
Two more views of Jordin Sparks singing the National Anthem.
Wayne Gretzky dropping the puck at the pregame face-off.
The opening face-off starts this game at Dodger Stadium. At 2:48 of Period One, Corey Perry scored for the Anaheim Duck which was followed by a goal at 8:12 by Matt Beleskey, putting the Ducks up 2-0. Anze Kopitar of the LA Kings was awarded a penalty shot at 8:48 of the first period which was the second penalty shot in the Stadium Series/Winter Classic game history.
Jonas Hiller stopped the penalty shot by Anze Kopitar and the teams left the ice at the end of the first period with the score Anaheim 2 LA Kings 0. KISS soon returned to their stage starting this set off with "I Love It Loud".
KISS playing "I Love It Loud" which they followed with"Detroit Rock City".
They ended that song with another fantastic fireworks show and did an excellent job of playing at the 2004 Winter Classic.
The Zambonis re-surfaced the ice surface during the first and second period breaks of the game.
There was a five minute penalty against the LA Kings played during the second period. The third period started still 2-0 Anaheim Ducks. I stayed until there was ten minutes left and I headed to the bus back to Union Station. The Ducks' Andrew Cogilano scored a third goal at 18:31 of the third period so the final score was Anaheim Ducks 3 Los Angeles Kings 0. It took us ten minutes to get out of the parking lot and would take other buses much longer but we will get to that later. The bus made a special stop in Chinatown for a few passengers before returning me to LAUPT and I walked up to the train.
Pacific Surfliner 2796 which I then boarded. Our 11:00 PM special departure was held by station services for late-running buses. We finally got the green light to leave at 11:44 PM, and left LAUPT at 11:47 PM. Station stops were brief and 43 minutes later I was detraining at Santa Ana.
Pacific Surfliner 2796 left Santa Ana and I headed home, putting the pictures on my computer and recharging the camera battery before calling it a night. At 5:30 AM I was up to photograph Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 on the start of its trip to West Colton, but that will be the next story.
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