Winter Classic rink build begins at Gillette Stadium

FOXBOROUGH, Mass.-- Dan Craig, the man responsible for building the ice rink at Gillette Stadium that will host the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, has a vision of what the weather will be like when puck drop approaches on Jan. 1.

It was eerily similar to the weather blanketing the area Monday afternoon as the rink build for the began for the highly-anticipated game between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens (1 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, TVAS) at the home of the NFL's New England Patriots.

"Absolutely perfect," he said, gesturing toward the sky as he walked through the tunnel onto the field to consult with the crew putting down a flooring base resting between the two 15-yard lines and will…