'But cynicism has been hip checked. Watching the game in person or on television was a rare New Year's treat that thousands of families won't forget. And for the players, who play 82 games a year in one homogenized indoor arena after the next, it won't be an experience they forget. As the wind blew and flurries fell and these elite players pushed mini mountains of snow along with the puck and a NFL-sized crowd — the largest to witness a pro hockey game in North America — roared, you knew you were witnessing something special.It was a celebration of a winter pastime. Just for the fun of it.'