Robert Esche said Howard Dolgon recently called him.

What was the topic of discussion between the Utica Comets president and the Syracuse Crunch owner?

Dolgon, Esche said, was gauging interest for a possible outdoor game he’s trying to put together. Dolgon’s idea is to pit the American Hockey League’s North Divisions rivals against each other in the great outdoors.

Count the Comets in, Esche said. It would be a “remarkable chance,” for the team and Utica, the Whitesboro native said.

“We would love to compete on that type of stage,” Esche said. “I think it would be a great experience. I’m all for building the sport in Central New York and building the sport as a whole. …

“An outdoor game, I mean, that’s where hockey was born. It’s a lot of fun playing outdoors.”

Esche said plans for the outdoor game are still in the early stages. The Crunch want to stage the game next December at NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse, according to a Dec. 13 syracuse.com story. Crunch officials hope to have a deal in place by the spring, the story said.

“At this time, our Syracuse Crunch organization is working diligently to secure an outdoor game for the 2017-18 American Hockey League season,” Dolgon said in a statement released by the Crunch on Jan. 4. “We have received tremendous support from (Onondaga) County Executive (Joanie Mahoney) and her staff, who along with us, are excited about the possibility of staging an extravaganza for all those residing in Central New York. It is our hope and intent to present an event that is even bigger and better than the 2010 outdoor classic played at the New York State Fairgrounds. As always, we will keep you updated on our activities.”

Syracuse played in the AHL’s first outdoor game on Feb. 20, 2010, at the state fairground’s grandstand, which has since been demolished. Since that contest, there have been seven other AHL outdoor games, including one Saturday that pitted the Pacific Division’s Bakersfield Condors and Ontario Reign in a rainy affair.

Esche said he also had interest in staging an outdoor game recently in the Mohawk Valley. Esche said he’s “toyed with a lot of different ideas” but hasn’t been able to find a suitable venue. The possible places considered includes Murnane Field in Utica, as well as Cooperstown.

He said a big challenge he ran into was how expensive it would be to install a playing surface, as well as the seating it would take to put on the event. Then there are the concessions, parking and other details needed for an outdoor event. An event like that can’t be staged in a field, he said.

“The problem is when you begin drilling down into the details,” Esche said. “But, I’m all ears if there’s something out there that I’m missing.”

Esche said the Crunch-Comets outdoor game would be similar to the Frozen Dome Classic, in that Dolgon and his staff will do much of the planning. That game on Nov. 22, 2014, at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse packed in 30,715, which was the largest crowd to watch an indoor pro game in the United States.

Partly because of the response from that event, Esche said he asked Dolgon how they could make an annual large-scale game between the teams when the pair talked a few days ago. The teams meet 12 times in the regular season, including at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. The Comets (12-16-5-1, 30 points) won the last meeting over the Crunch (18-9-1-5, 42 points) on Nov. 23 at the Aud.

Esche said the rivalry between the teams also makes a possible annual event a big draw. A Comets-Crunch rivalry was built in before the teams even played a game, Esche said.

“As we have played, it’s been growing and growing and growing,” said Esche, who pointed out the games between the teams have been intense for players, coaches and fans.

It wouldn’t be the first time Esche has been involved in an outdoor game. Esche, who played goaltender professionally from 1998 until retiring in 2012, took part in an outdoor game while playing in the Kontinental Hockey League’s All-Star game on Jan. 10, 2009, in Moscow.

Esche said the game was “amazing” and “one of the best hockey experiences” he has had.

First, there was the weather in the western Russian city. The temperature was hovering below zero during the game, Esche said.

“It was the coldest I’ve ever been playing a game,” said the 38-year-old, who also played eight seasons in the National Hockey League for Phoenix and Philadelphia. “I didn’t want to get hit by the puck.”

Secondly, the game was staged in the Russian capital’s famous Red Square, which has a rich history.

“For an American to be playing in Red Square is remarkable,” he said.

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