NEW YORK -- Among all the joggers, dog walkers, bird watchers and families feeding the ducks in Central Park this weekend, Kris Versteeg and his out-of-town pals came for a picnic.
A puck picnic, that is.
Needing a clean sheet of ice, the Calgary Flames held a brisk, 90-minute practice in the fresh air Saturday. Framed by apartment buildings along 110th Street and skyscrapers beyond Fifth Avenue, the visitors skated on a rink in the north end of the park, at the foot of Harlem.
"You're so used to being in these big stadiums, big arenas, it's nice to come out here," goaltender Chad Johnson said.