In April 2018, an MLB game was postponed after ice falling from this structure punctured the roof of Rogers Centre
Tuesday night’s Final Jeopardy clue took contestants into the world of architecture and unexpected sports disruptions. Falling under the category Famous Structures, the clue read: “In April 2018, an MLB game was postponed after ice falling from this structure punctured the roof of Rogers Centre.” It’s a question that bridges Canadian infrastructure with a rare incident in baseball history.
What is the CN Tower?
This iconic Canadian landmark became part of an unusual sports headline in 2018 when sheets of ice dropped from the tower, damaging the roof of the stadium next door and forcing a game delay.
How the CN Tower Came to Interrupt a Baseball Game
The CN Tower stands in downtown Toronto, Ontario, and is one of the city’s most recognized landmarks. Completed in 1976, it held the record as the world’s tallest free-standing structure for over 30 years. Its close proximity to the Rogers Centre — home to the Toronto Blue Jays — makes it a striking part of the city’s skyline and a symbol of Canadian engineering.
On April 16, 2018, Toronto experienced an unusual combination of spring thaw and freezing rain, leading to large ice formations on the CN Tower. As the temperature fluctuated, ice began to fall from the structure. One large chunk punctured the retractable roof of the Rogers Centre, which is located just steps away. The incident forced officials to postpone that day’s MLB game between the Blue Jays and the Kansas City Royals — a rare occurrence due to weather at a domed stadium.
The Significance of the CN Tower
As a communications and observation tower, the CN Tower serves multiple purposes beyond aesthetics. It supports telecommunications equipment and includes public observation decks and a rotating restaurant. It rises over 1,800 feet and is often subjected to extreme weather, making it susceptible to seasonal freeze-thaw cycles that can lead to incidents like the one in 2018.
The tower is owned by Canada Lands Company and is maintained with rigorous safety inspections, particularly after weather-related events. Although rare, falling ice has previously been reported, prompting authorities to occasionally close the surrounding area during thawing periods to protect pedestrians and nearby buildings.
A Rare Delay at a Covered Stadium
What made the April 2018 incident especially noteworthy was that it delayed a game at a stadium built specifically to avoid weather disruptions. The Rogers Centre, formerly known as SkyDome, is one of the few MLB stadiums with a fully retractable roof. Its design allows games to proceed during rain or snow — making weather-related postponements exceedingly rare.
However, no roof design accounted for ice projectiles from an adjacent 1,800-foot tower. The damage required temporary repairs before the stadium could reopen safely. Crews patched the hole in the roof, and the team resumed play shortly after, but the incident drew attention across sports and engineering news outlets.
Why This Clue Stood Out on Jeopardy
Jeopardy! often rewards players who can make connections between seemingly unrelated fields. This clue touched on geography, sports history, and architecture — and required a contestant to recall a one-time headline from seven years ago involving two Toronto landmarks. For viewers, it was a reminder of how iconic structures like the CN Tower can influence life far beyond their intended purposes.
The incident remains a unique entry in both the CN Tower’s and MLB’s histories. It highlighted how urban environments with dense architecture and unpredictable weather can intersect in surprising ways. And for Jeopardy! fans, it offered a memorable clue that balanced specificity with a touch of trivia-worthy oddity.