NHL Heritage Classic
National Hockey League | |
---|---|
First played | November 22, 2003 |
Times Held | 7 |
Teams Participated | 8 |
Most Appearances | 3: Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers |
Most Recent | 2023 Heritage Classic |
Most Recent Winner | Edmonton Oilers |
The NHL Heritage Classic (
The sixth Heritage Classic for 2022 was played at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario. The Toronto Maple Leafs made their first Heritage Classic appearance (they were the only Canadian team who had yet to play in a Heritage Classic, although they had appeared in a Winter Classic, the Centennial Classic and in one Stadium Series game), and played against the Buffalo Sabres, the first U.S. team appearing in a Heritage Classic.[5]
The seventh Heritage Classic was hosted by the Oilers for the 2nd time, with their opponent being the Calgary Flames in the first outdoor hockey Battle of Alberta.[6]
History
The
Demand for tickets to the game was unprecedented in the history of Edmonton sports events.[9] After sales to Edmonton's season ticket holders and league sponsors, the Oilers held a lottery for the remaining 7,000 seats that awarded 1,750 persons the opportunity to purchase four tickets each. The team received over 750,000 entries from around the world.[10] The game attracted a crowd of 57,167 that set an NHL single-game attendance record that more than doubled the previous mark.[11] The event featured an alumni game between past greats of the Canadiens and Oilers, including Wayne Gretzky and Guy Lafleur.[12] The game itself was played at a temperature of −19 °C (−2 °F); the Canadiens defeated the Oilers by a score of 4–3.[11]
The success of the Heritage Classic led to the
Like the Edmonton game, the 2011 Heritage Classic was a success, as the Flames defeated Montreal 4–0 in front of 41,022 fans at McMahon Stadium.[17] The game achieved high television ratings in both Canada and the United States and, due to record sponsorship,[1] grossed the highest revenue for a single event in NHL history.[2]
The
The
The
On September 16, 2021, the league announced that a
On January 1, 2023, the NHL announced that Commonwealth Stadium would return as host of the Heritage Classic in 2023, this time showcasing the Battle of Alberta between the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers.[20] The Oilers would come away with a 5-2 victory over the Flames.
List of games
Bolded teams denote winners
Year | Season | Date | City | Stadium | Primary team at venue | Away team | Score | Home team | Attendance | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | 2003–04 | November 22 | Edmonton, Alberta | Commonwealth Stadium
|
Edmonton Eskimos | Montreal Canadiens | 4–3 | Edmonton Oilers | 57,167 | [11] |
2011 | 2010–11 | February 20 | Calgary, Alberta | McMahon Stadium | Calgary Stampeders | Montreal Canadiens | 0–4 | Calgary Flames | 41,022 | [17] |
2014 | 2013–14 | March 2 | Vancouver, British Columbia | BC Place | BC Lions | Ottawa Senators | 4–2 | Vancouver Canucks | 54,194 | [18] |
2016 | 2016–17 | October 23 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Investors Group Field
|
Winnipeg Blue Bombers | Edmonton Oilers | 3–0 | Winnipeg Jets | 33,240 | |
2019 | 2019–20 | October 26 | Regina, Saskatchewan | Mosaic Stadium | Saskatchewan Roughriders | Calgary Flames | 1–2 | Winnipeg Jets | 33,518 | |
2022 | 2021–22 | March 13 | Hamilton, Ontario | Tim Hortons Field | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Toronto Maple Leafs | 2–5 | Buffalo Sabres | 26,119 | [5] |
2023 | 2023–24 | October 29 | Edmonton, Alberta | Commonwealth Stadium
|
Edmonton Elks | Calgary Flames | 2–5 | Edmonton Oilers | 55,411 | [20] |
Winning and losing teams
Teams | Win | Loss | Total | Year(s) won | Year(s) lost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Edmonton Oilers | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2016, 2023 | 2003 |
Montreal Canadiens | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2003 | 2011 |
Calgary Flames | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2011 | 2019, 2023 |
Ottawa Senators | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2014 | |
Vancouver Canucks | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2014 | |
Winnipeg Jets | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2019 | 2016 |
Buffalo Sabres | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2022 | |
Toronto Maple Leafs | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
Broadcasters
CBC's Hockey Night in Canada broadcast the 2003, 2011, 2014 and 2019 games. In the first three editions, CBC Sports solely produced the games, then in 2019, Sportsnet not only took over production, but also simulcast the game on their networks. In 2016, 2022 and 2023, the games were aired only on Sportsnet.
In the United States, the first Heritage Classic was not broadcast to then-rightsholders
References
- ^ a b "Heritage Classic sponsorship trumps Winter Classic, surprises NHL". The Hockey News. February 4, 2011. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ a b Francis, Eric (February 28, 2011). "Heritage Classic success sparks talk of five NHL outdoor games a season". QMI Agency. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ Dacey, Elisha (May 10, 2019). "Investors Group Field changing name to IG Field". Global News. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ "Jets to host 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic". NHL.com. March 6, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Maple Leafs, Sabres to play in 2022 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic". NHL.com. September 16, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
- ^ "2023 Heritage Classic will be a Battle of Alberta between the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers". FlamesNation. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
- ^ Cohen, Tom (November 21, 2003). "Old-time hockey as Oilers, Canadians play in first outdoor NHL game". Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ Dolezar, Jon A. (November 14, 2003). "The great outdoors". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ a b "It's Nice Outside—Oilers Stage Heritage Classic". Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation. Archived from the original on February 6, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ Allen, Kevin (November 19, 2003). "Backyard memories revived for a night". USA Today. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ a b c Dolezar, Jon A (November 23, 2003). "Instant classic". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ Snow, Chris (November 22, 2003). "History heads outdoors; Alumni game part of festivities for stadium duel". Minneapolis Star Tribune. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ Pinchevsky, Tal (November 17, 2013). "Sunday Long Read: '03 Heritage Classic starts boom". National Hockey League. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ "NHL, Penguins winners in Winter Classic". Associated Press. January 2, 2008. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ Johnson, George (February 13, 2011). "Taking it outside". Calgary Herald. p. F6.
- ^ Burnside, Scott (December 30, 2010). "Put Heritage Classic back on shelf". ESPN. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
- ^ a b Wharnsby, Tim (February 20, 2011). "Flames blank Canadiens in NHL Heritage Classic". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ a b "Gary Bettman says 6 outdoor NHL games is what fans want". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. August 8, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ "Bettman announces that Regina will host 2019 Heritage Classic". Regina Leader-Post. January 1, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
- ^ a b "Oilers to host Flames in 2023 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic". NHL.com. December 31, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
External links
Media related to NHL Heritage Classic at Wikimedia Commons