New Orleans was blanketed by a record-breaking amount of snow this week with as much as 10 inches falling on the city in some areas — seven inches more than has ever been recorded in The Big Easy. In other areas of the city, the streets became so icy, it appeared more efficient to get around in skates than shoes.
That includes the city’s famed Canal Street along the French Quarter, and apparently one former minor leaguer put that notion to the test. In a video that made the social media rounds Tuesday, someone really, truly began playing hockey outdoors in New Orleans.
Ice hockey on Canal St., anyone?? 🤣
On a serious note— this is what the streets will be like tonight and tomorrow. VERY TREACHEROUS. #NewOrleans @FOX8NOLA pic.twitter.com/sPoFdiWVy8— Olivia Vidal (@oliviavidaltv) January 22, 2025
🏒 ICE ROAD HOCKEY: Jay Croop a retired hockey player who played for the Columbus River Dragons in Georgia playing Ice hockey on Canal Street, New Orleans tonight! 🥅
Roads are now sheets of ice from compaction. Conditions will be extremely dangerous tonight and tomorrow. It's… pic.twitter.com/WDDHMcPzUA
— Live Storm Chasers (@LiveStormChaser) January 22, 2025
According to multiple reports, that’s former minor league hockey player Jay Croop skating around downtown — previously a member of the Columbus (Ga.) River Dragons of the Federal Prospects Hockey League. Croop’s apparently had quite the year, including getting traded by his own father.
Now, existential crisis over climate change aside, obviously the biggest problem here is figuring out how to keep NHL commissioner Gary Bettman from seeing these videoes.
Best case scenario, Bettman sees this and plans the next Winter Classic along Canal Street. Worst case, Bettman immediately moves the Ottawa Senators to a city known for its pro sports teams’ ability to torture fans in cruel and unusual ways. As much as hockey in New Orleans would rule for all the reasons hockey in Nashville rules, we don’t need Bettman to get more ideas about southern expansion again.
In the meantime, enjoy this hopefully once-in-a-lifetime moment where January in the French Quarter looks more like Montreal than Cannes.
