It’s been 20 years and 38 games since the Heritage Classic in Edmonton, when the era of NHL outdoor hockey began in earnest. Many of this year’s Winter Classic participants know what to expect. For others, Jan. 1 has been a long time coming.

Before joining the Kraken, Alex Wennberg spent his entire seven-season career in Columbus and Florida — two of the three teams who have never been invited to an outdoor game. He’s watched, waited and wanted.

“Now is my time to enjoy it,” he said.

Teammate Andre Burakovsky, who knows the drill by now, offered his fellow Swede some helpful advice. “He said be ready for bad ice,” Wennberg chuckled.

Despite the league’s best and practiced efforts, part of the thrill of outdoor games is being at the mercy of unpredictable conditions. Seattle will find out what’s in store Monday at noon, with the projected temperature holding steady in the low to high 40s under cloudy skies. The retractable roof at the Mariners’ T-Mobile Field is an unwanted, last-ditch solution.

The Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks are seemingly invited every other year, which means defenseman Brian Dumoulin is something of an expert. Between college, the minor leagues and his tenure with the Pens, this is Dumoulin’s seventh outdoor game.

Even though more than 40,000 fans are expected at T-Mobile — a sellout at Climate Pledge Arena, for reference, is 17,151 — Dumoulin said when you’re removed from the stands, it’s almost like no one’s watching.

“As many fans that are there, you kind of don’t feel them while you’re playing, because they’re not on the glass,” Dumoulin said. “It almost feels like a summer game, where you don’t feel that added pressure from the crowd noise because it’s really hard to hear.

“It’s a lot more intimate. It feels like it’s just you and the other team out there.”

Like the native of Biddeford, Maine, is back on the neighborhood pond. Or winger Tye Kartye is skating along the St. Lawrence River in Kingston, Ontario, again.

“Spent a lot of hours out there,” Kartye said. “But never played in outdoor game. Definitely looking forward to that.”

Twelve other Kraken players have braved the elements: Jaden Schwartz, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Philipp Grubauer — all of whom are unlikely to play Monday — Jamie Oleksiak, Adam Larsson, Jared McCann, Justin Schultz, Brandon Tanev, Tomas Tatar and Eeli Tolvanen, Jordan Eberle and Burakovsky. Burakovsky (upper body) just resumed skating with the team Wednesday.

Two divisional points will be on the line for the streaking Kraken (13-14-9), who have steadied after an eight-game winless streak and are 5-0-2 since it ended. Streaming out of the other dugout is a team willing and able to knock them back down. Coming off a Stanley Cup championship run, the Vegas Golden Knights (21-10-5) have been perched near or at the top of Western Conference for the entirety of the 2023-24 season, which is nearly halfway done.