SYRACUSE -- The Syracuse Crunch, along with Labatt and Onondaga Beverage, announced Thursday the details of the first-ever Labatt Blue Syracuse Outdoor Classic, to be held on February 21, one day after the Crunch make history by hosting the Binghamton Senators in the Mirabito Outdoor Classic, the AHL’s first-ever outdoor game at the New York State Fairgrounds.

On Sunday, February 21, 16 teams comprised of four to six players age 21 years or older will compete in a day-long tournament on the Mirabito Outdoor Classic rink.  The tournament format is four-on-four with no goaltenders.  The nets used are six inches high by six feet wide. 

The winner of the Labatt Blue Syracuse Outdoor Classic will receive an automatic invitation to the third annual Labatt Blue Buffalo Pond Hockey Tournament on February 27 and 28 on Lake Erie, where 112 teams will compete in approximately 14 divisions.  Players will skate on eight 150’ x 75’ man-made rinks, each constructed using water, shovels, small plows and hay barrels.

For more information on how to participate in the Labatt Blue Syracuse Outdoor Classic, please contact tournament manager Ed Ellis at ed@performaxsports.com.

Tickets for the Mirabito Outdoor Classic are priced at $30 for end grandstand and $40 for center grandstand seating. Group pricing begins at 20 tickets and range as low as $26.

In addition, tickets can be purchased by calling the Crunch office at (315) 473- 4444, calling TicketMaster at 1-800-745-3000 or by stopping by the Oncenter Box Office, located on the State Street Side of the War Memorial.

The Mirabito Outdoor Classic, the American Hockey League’s first-ever outdoor game, is scheduled to be played on February 20, 2010 at 1 p.m. at the New York State Fairgrounds against the Binghamton Senators.

Courtesy: Syracuse Crunch