A group of Vancouverites played an impromptu game of street hockey in Times Square as Hurricane Irene battered New York City on Saturday night.
Video of the puck antics show groups of men and women stick handling the puck.
The images show some men braving the rain bare-chested, while others were wearing hockey jerseys, as they gleefully engaged in a mid-storm hockey session.
The bright lights on buildings surrounding the square still flickered, but one of New York City's most crowded tourist spots was an unobstructed playing area on Saturday night as the players braved heavy rain and strong winds.
The hockey players took advantage of the eerily empty square to play the men's vs. women's game in front of the Marriott hotel.
Photographer Chelsea Matiash told CTVNews.ca that the group, made up of visitors from Vancouver, played until New York Police officers broke up the game around 10:30 p.m.
It is unclear to which team the players belong, but the World Police and Fire Games were scheduled to take place in the city from Aug. 26 to Sept. 5.
New York City officials had spent the weekend advising residents to evacuate many low-lying areas and the city's transit system was shut down on Saturday.
Irene's arrival in New York City was aggressive even with weaker-than-predicted winds, with heavy rainfall overnight that overwhelmed sewers and sent water spewing into streets.
Irene was downgraded to a tropical storm on Sunday.
