TNA wrestler Eric Young is used to duking it out in the squared circle, but Saturday night he'll be at an outdoor hockey rink when the San Jose Sharks host the Los Angeles Kings at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. as part of the NHL Stadium Series.
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Young, who grew up in Florence, Ontario, Canada spoke to NHL.com about being excited for the Stadium Series game after growing up playing hockey outdoors.
"We played as much hockey as everything; that was the only thing to do," Young told the website. "You play road hockey in the summer, and when it gets cold enough and the river freezes and floods the field you play pond hockey."
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Young, who grew up a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, but also roots for the Nashville Predators since moving to Tennessee in 2004, said he is excited for the game, but also wished he could have went when the Kings and Anaheim Ducks played at Dodger Stadium last year.
"I'm pumped. I wanted to go to L.A. and Anaheim last year, and I was working, and I remember just not being able to make it to the game," Young said. "I've never gone to a football game [at Levi's Stadium], and I know the stadium, from what I've read and what I saw on TV, is supposed to be state of the art."
Young, who said he enjoys watching the Road to the Stadium Series special, believes that hockey is better outside.
"That's how I played hockey growing up. When you played, you played outside," Young said. "The river would flood up and flood the fields near my house. Just these massive hockey rinks would pop up in all these fields and all these pastures near where I lived. Being at the Winter Classic last year was my best sports memory, and [the Stadium Series] will be good."
The Sharks (29-22-8, 66 points) and Kings (27-18-12, 66 points) are tightly contesting for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference after L.A. recently won six straight games to jump San Jose to land in the final playoff position in the Western Conference.
This game should have a lot of importance behind it, and Young will be among about 70,000 people in Levi's Stadium on Saturday.
Young isn't a part of the WWE, but TNA's rival company will emanate their biggest pay-per-view to date WrestleMania 31 from Levi's Stadium on March 29.
Young, 35, is a one-time TNA Heavyweight Champion and he'll watch the defending Stanley Cup Champion Kings and the Sharks take their rivalry outdoors as part of the NHL Stadium Series.
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