Ice Hockey has always been one of those sports that its die-hard fans insist you have to see in the flesh in order to truly appreciate.

I heard the same from AFL tragics prior to my first Magpies experience at the MCG. Let's just say I was more entertained by the fan interactions than the game itself. The humanity on display was worthy of an Attenborough documentary.

So, expectations in check, off I went to the Ice Hockey Classic at Auckland's Spark Arena on Friday night, where USA would square off with fearsome rivals Canada in a battle of ice supremacy etc.

Walking into Spark's foyer, the place was (predictably) littered with all manner of hockey jerseys. What better chance for NHL heads to parade their best vintage jersey in New Zealand and have them genuinely appreciated?

As an NBA 'collector', I get it. It's like their version of Rhythm & Vines.