In Cincinnati, roller rink provides warmth and shelter from nation's Arctic blast

CINCINNATI (AP) — Tirrdell Byrd sat on the floor strumming his guitar as people milled about Over-The-Rhine Recreation Center, winter coats flung over folding chairs, belongings packed into shopping bags and wheeled totes, the smell of pizza lingering. A blind woman was helped to a drink of water by another woman, while nearby, people gathered around a television for news on a weather system packing lethal cold.

They don't typically spend their days in a roller rink, but about 200 people, many homeless, were grateful for a place to shelter from sub-freezing temperatures that gripped Cincinnati and much of the nation. At night, buses would arrive to take them to overnight shelters to avoid even colder weather that can quickly lead to frostbite and death.

“This is a safe haven for us. And I appreciate ... the love that is still out here,” said Byrd, who has been staying in shelters until he has enough money to “venture on my own."

"I hope people can look at this and understand how much character it takes to be out here,” he added Monday.

Much of the eastern half of the country was expected to experience temperatures 12 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit (7 to 14 Celsius) below their historical average this week, as cold air is channeled far south of Canada and the Arctic, AccuWeather said.

In Cincinnati, daytime temperatures were in the 20s on Monday, falling to 11 overnight at Cincinnati Municipal Airport. The bitter cold, with single-digit nighttime temperatures, was expected most of the week, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

Even so, some people chose to remain outside, gritting out the cold with little more for shelter than cardboard.

The center offers extended hours for those who need a warm place, food and transportation to overnight lodging, said Dave Harris, assistant director of the Cincinnati Recreation Commission. It's the third year that this center has served as a daytime shelter, and though the temperature threshold that determines when to open wasn't met, the city decided to open it because of a forecasted storm. Other recreation centers also will be open during the day this week.

“If we weren’t available, those patrons and people would ... probably be out on the streets facing the elements,” Harris said.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

A makeshift shelter sits at the entrance to a building, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Unhoused people walk down a street toward a shelter after waking up, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

People board a bus to an overnight shelter during a winter storm, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

A person rests inside a daytime warming center, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Idris Mills, right, hands out food to patrons inside a daytime warming shelter, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Patrons sit inside a daytime warming shelter, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Patrons enter a daytime warming shelter as it opens for the day, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Patrons watch a local weather report while sheltering from the cold inside a recreation center, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Harley Moody, right, who is blind, takes a sip of water, as Angel Rodda, left, holds it for her after they arrived inside a daytime warming shelter, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Patrons shelter from the cold inside a recreation center, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

People walk toward a daytime warming shelter, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Tirrdell Byrd plays guitar while sheltering from the cold inside a recreation center, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

BOSTON (AP) — Adam Henrique scored two goals and Connor McDavid scored on a power play midway through the second period as the Edmonton Oilers won their fourth straight game, 4-0 over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.

Stuart Skinner, who left the game late in the first period after a collision with the Bruins’ Nikita Zadorov before returning at the start of the second, stopped 26 shots as the Oilers won for the 12th time in their last 15 games.

Viktor Arvidsson added an empty-netter for Edmonton, while center Leon Draisaitl’s point streak was halted at 14 games.

It was the Bruins’ fifth straight loss, their worst stretch since interim coach Joe Sacco took over for the fired Jim Montgomery on Nov. 19.

LIGHTNING 3, HURRICANES 2

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Brayden Point scored with 52 seconds to play and Tampa Bay snapped a four-game skid with a victory over Carolina.

Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul also scored for Tampa Bay while Darren Raddysh finished with two assists. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 30 shots in the victory.

Andrei Svechnikov and Jordan Staal scored for Carolina. Pytor Kochetkov finished with 31 saves.

Nikita Kucherov found Point cutting to the slot where he received the pass and spun around to his forehand to snap a shot past Kochetkov on the winning goal.

RED WINGS 3, SENATORS 2, OT

DETROIT (AP) — Patrick Kane scored on a power play with 2:39 remaining in overtime and Detroit extended their winning streak to five games with a win over Ottawa.

Dylan Larkin scored on a power play in the first period and Joe Veleno also scored in regulation for Detroit. Larkin extended his goal streak to four games and his point streak to six games.

Alex Lyon started in goal for Detroit, but was removed after the first period due to an upper-body injury. Cam Talbot took over and the duo combined for 31 saves.

Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot scored for Ottawa, which has lost five of its last six games. Anton Forsberg made 30 saves.

STARS 5, RANGERS 4, OT

NEW YORK (AP) — Jamie Benn scored on a power play 2:17 into overtime and Dallas allied from an early three-goal deficit to defeat struggling New York.

Jake Oettinger made 21 saves and Dallas defenseman Thomas Harley had a goal and two assists. Harley’s snap shot tied it 4-all at 17:21 of the third period following a terrible turnover by Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller deep in his own end.

Benn’s 11th goal came with Artemi Panarin in the penalty box for hooking and gave the Stars their only lead. Dallas’ captain tipped in a centering pass from Jason Robertson. Harley also assisted on the play.

Dallas denied New York goalie Jonathan Quick his 400th career win.

BLUE JACKETS 4, PENGUINS 3, SO

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kirill Marchenko and Kent Johnson scored in the shootout and Columbus rallied to beat Pittsburgh.

Elvis Merzlikins, who made 20 saves, stopped Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby in the shootout, as Columbus came back from a 3-1 deficit in the third period.

Adam Fantilli scored a third-period power-play goal and Dmitri Voronkov scored twice, giving him nine goals in seven games. Columbus has goals with the man advantage in 12 of its last 15 games. Sean Monahan left with an upper-body injury.

Rickard Rakell scored twice and Michael Bunting set a career high with his eighth power-play goal. Crosby had two assists and became the NHL’s all-time leader in faceoff wins since the league started tracking the stat in 1997.

MAPLE LEAFS 3, FLYERS 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Auston Matthews and John Tavares each had a goal and an assist to lead Toronto to their fifth straight win, over Philadelphia.

Matthew Knies tallied the go-ahead goal with 6:39 remaining to help the Maple Leafs sweep a home-and-home set with Philadelphia. Toronto defeated the Flyers 3-2 in overtime on home ice on Sunday.

Leafs goalie Joseph Woll made 30 saves.

Travis Konecny scored both Philadelphia goals.

WILD 6, BLUES 4

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Matt Boldy’s tiebreaking goal early in the third period for Minnesota completed their comeback from a two-score deficit to beat St. Louis Blues for their fourth straight victory.

Boldy snapped in a shot off a pass from Mats Zuccarello on a 2-on-1 rush after Blues defenseman Jake Broberg’s stick broke in the neutral zone.

Joel Eriksson Ek scored for Minnesota midway through the second period, and Jake Middleton tied the game 1:16 into the third. Marcus Johansson tacked on an empty-netter.

Jordan Kyrou, Jake Neighbours and Robert Thomas scored early in the second period for a 4-2 lead for St. Louis that prompted the Wild to pull goalie Filip Gustavsson, who’d allowed a total of three goals over two earlier wins against the Blues this season.

JETS 5, PREDATORS 2

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Morgan Barron and Josh Morrissey scored 16 seconds apart to help Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck record his 300th NHL career win over Nashville.

Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi and Nino Niederreiter also scored for Winnipeg, which halted a three-game losing skid. Mark Scheifele added a pair of assists.

Hellebuyck stopped 26 shots.

Filip Forsberg ended an 18-game scoring drought with his 10th of the season for the Predators. Juuse Saros made 26 saves for Nashville.

Winnipeg led 3-0 after the first period and 3-1 heading into the third.

FLAMES 3, DUCKS 2, OT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Jonathan Huberdeau scored a power-play goal at 2:05 of overtime in Calgary's victory over Anaheim.

MacKenzie Weegar had a goal and an assist for the Flames, who stopped a two-game skid. Nazem Kadri scored and Dustin Wolf stopped 25 shots.

Mason McTavish tied it with 12:24 left in regulation for the Ducks, who have earned a point in five of their last six games. Alex Killorn also scored, and John Gibson made 30 saves.

Calgary’s Connor Zary apparently injured his left knee during the second period in an open-ice collision with Anaheim defenseman Drew Helleson, who received a game misconduct.

Killorn scored his eighth goal in the final second of 4-on-4 play after Helleson’s ejection, but Kadri scored his 15th moments later.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4, SHARKS 2

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Mark Stone had a goal and an assist as Vegas beat San Jose.

Zach Whitecloud, Victor Olofsson and Tomas Hertl also scored to help Vegas extend its winning streak to three games. Shea Theodore had two assists.

William Eklund had a goal and an assist for San Jose. Timothy Liljegren also scored.

Olofsson gave the Golden Knights a 3-1 lead on a power play at 1:10 of the third period. His ninth goal came on a slap shot from the circle off a backhand pass from Jack Eichel.

Liljegren’s power-play goal trimmed it to 3-2 at 10:41, but Hertl sealed it with an empty-netter.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner, right, makes a save as Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) chases the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)