I watched NHL legends play ice hockey live in Edinburgh with Hearts star Claudio Braga as worlds come together

Loud chatter and laughter filled my ears as I walked into Murrayfield Ice Arena for the first of three games in the USA vs Canada NHL alumni series.

The crowd was a blur of NHL and Scottish ice hockey jerseys, with Canadian flags sprinkled throughout as fans made their way to their seats.

Hearts star forward Cláudio Braga sauntered past. “I didn’t know you were into ice hockey,” a man greeted him with a pat on the back.

Hearts striker Claudio Braga took in the ice hockey. | Ryan Fleming Photography

Ahead of the Hibs v Hearts Edinburgh derby on Sunday, Braga seemed to be taking some time to enjoy the ice hockey with friends.

A few minutes later, I climbed the stairs to find him in the top box. A friendly aura radiated from him - bright eyes, easy smile. Casually rocking jeans and a tan-coloured aviator jacket, he shared it was his first time at ice hockey.

Like the rest of the crowd, Braga was looking forward to seeing the legendary USA-Canada ice hockey rivalry on full display earlier this year at the Winter Olympics and again last year, when three fights broke out in the first nine seconds of a 4 Nations fixture.

Leaving Braga, I made my way to find a seat on the away end. It’s been two years since my friend Graeme persuaded our group to go to an Edinburgh Capitals game.

While I was initially sceptical about the sport, especially the fighting, it’s grown on me, helped by the padding and controlled environment. We’ve since become regulars at the rink, where the fast-paced game and lively atmosphere freeze the busy week for a few hours.

The men took to the ice, decked out in blue and red uniforms. There were around 20 former NHL players, along with a few names from the UK’s Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL).

As they were warming up, one of them neared our section. He pointed to a little girl in the front row holding up a puck. She ran to the rail, hands outstretched, as he gently tossed it. She caught it and ran back to her mum with a toothy grin.

Plenty of skill on show

The puck dropped, starting the first period. The game showcased speed, precision, and skills honed over years of practice - made to look easy with both teams playing offence.

Gasps from the stands followed several close calls before Canada finally scored the first goal. The familiar lion’s roar that plays when the Edinburgh Capitals score echoed around the arena.

For the next two periods, I stood next to the team’s benches, where the players waited to switch lines off the ice.

Doubled in size by the heavy gear, they laughed and cheered each other on, their breath puffing white clouds into the chilly air.

As they climbed over the barrier, ice stuck to the blades of their skates, a few flakes falling to the ground. Standing close to the action, the crowd seemed to fade away, replaced by the loud crack of the puck hitting players’ sticks. The scrape of skates shaving ice was strangely satisfying.

Up close, their faces came into focus. Behind the glass, the players’ attention sharpened, shark-like eyes tracking the puck.

After briefly meeting the roster of former NHL players, it was clear the pull to Scotland for many was a mix of golf, whisky, scenery, and the chance to play each other again.

They say you never forget your firsts, so I asked Simon Després, former Pittsburgh Penguins player and current Fife Flyer, about his first NHL game.

“It was against this guy,” he said, without missing a beat, pointing to former Washington Capitals player Karl Alzner. That game was fifteen years ago, December 1, 2011.

Among Team USA was Stanley Cup champion Mike Knuble, who played 16 NHL seasons for five teams, including the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings, before retiring at 40.

Speaking with Knuble before the first game, I found him a calm, yet powerful presence. The kind of man you’d want as your coach in any sport.

The night after meeting him, curiosity got the best of me, and I lay awake in bed, watching old videos of Knuble in the NHL. A man I had known nothing about a week earlier suddenly sent a tiny chill down my spine as I watched him take the ice at Murrayfield.

The much-anticipated tipping point in the rivalry came on Saturday’s sold-out game, when gloves were dropped, and a fight broke out on centre ice during the second period and again at their last showdown on Sunday.

The crescendo of fans rising to their feet erupted into deafening thunder as the players tumbled onto the ice. In the end, Canada won all three games with the final puck sliding into an empty net after the goalie was pulled to get more men on the ice in the last seconds.

Every night, the teams stood in a circle, clapping their sticks against the ice before raising them up in the air, thanking the crowd. Afterwards, they took pictures with fans and signed jerseys.

At the end of the first game, I bumped into Braga again, who walked over to me with a smile, now wearing a Team Canada red tartan jersey.

“How was that for you?” I asked. “Yeah, really good!” Talking about how skilled the players were and standing amidst the crowd, he could have been anyone.

“Do you think you’ll be back at the ice hockey?” “Yes,” he said. As we said goodbye and he turned to leave, he’d only taken a few steps before a boy shyly approached him.

Braga smiled and crouched to his level, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder as the boy’s parents snapped a picture at an event that had unpredictably brought worlds together.