SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Giants will forever celebrate the strange, torrential rain that created such lasting images during the final outs of the 2012 National League Championship Series. The next time that much water takes center stage at AT&T Park, it might be frozen.

The Giants have had preliminary discussions with the Sharks and the National Hockey League about bringing a game to the shores of McCovey Cove, team president and CEO Larry Baer said. In the coming months, NHL officials will tour AT&T Park, Levi’s Stadium and Stanford Stadium to determine the best option in the Bay Area, in case the Sharks are awarded a Stadium Series game.

The Sharks are cautiously optimistic that they’ll get a shot at outdoor hockey in 2015.

“Our ballpark would be perfect,” Baer said. “A lot has to happen with the NHL and how these things get planned, but we’d love to do it. We think it would be a great partnership. We have a fair amount in common (with the Sharks) in the way we approach presenting our games. I think it would be an easy marriage and great for the fans.”

Before the Sharks can choose a Bay Area location, they must be chosen for a Stadium Series game, and that’s no easy task.

The NHL has hit upon a bonanza with its annual Winter Classic game, with this year’s matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings drawing 105,491 fans to Michigan Stadium on New Year’s Day. The league also scheduled the Heritage Classic in Vancouver and four outdoor games as part of a separate Stadium Series. The New York Rangers hosted two January games at Yankee Stadium, and the Chicago Blackhawks will welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins to Soldier Field on Saturday. For the Sharks, the most important outdoor game was a Jan. 25 matchup between the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks at Dodger Stadium.

The NHL watched that game closely, since there’s a vast difference between hosting outdoor hockey in the snow and doing it under blue skies in California, where winter days often are enjoyed in shorts and a T-shirt. The Dodger Stadium game was deemed a success.

“We cleared the first hurdle,” Sharks chief operating officer John Tortora said via email.

The NHL still must decide if the Stadium Series will be as widespread in 2015. The Sharks expect a decision in the coming months, but they’re not the only ones lobbying for outdoor hockey. According to a Denver Post report, the NHL is likely to reduce its outdoor schedule from six to four games, with the Colorado Avalanche considered a slam-dunk choice for 2015 because Coors Light is a title sponsor of the Stadium Series. Naturally, that game could be played at Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies.

Could 2015 bring outdoor games to the homes of two of the Dodgers’ division rivals?

“If you go back to some of the ventures we’ve done,” Baer said, “this is kind of right in our sweet spot.”

Tortora said the Sharks are in a favorable position, but they’re a long way from the finish line.

If the Giants are chosen as partners, they’ll be ready. AT&T Park and the surrounding area hosts around 120 nonbaseball events every year, including college football bowl games, soccer friendlies and the Red Bull Flugtag. Cold-weather sports aren’t an issue; a ski and snowboard jump once filled center field, and Brian Boitano starred in a 2007 “skating spectacular” that featured live music from Barry Manilow.

“We really have no restrictions,” Baer said. “After some of the things we’ve done, I think a hockey game would be easy. It’s just a matter of getting on the grid.”

The Giants are pretty good at that last part. After all, Kanye West chose AT&T Park of all places as the destination for his marriage proposal to Kim Kardashian.

“Hey, Kanye was more work than you think,” Baer said, laughing. “He had to have a 52-piece orchestra out there at 10 at night.”

For more on the Giants, see Alex Pavlovic’s Giants Extra blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/Giants. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/AlexPavlovic.