McDavid is looking forward to the 2023 NHL Heritage Classic

Edmonton – Connor McDavid was too young to remember the 2003 Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium, but the Edmonton Oilers captain is looking forward to playing in a different version of his first outdoor regular season game in 20 years.

“I would still be so young,” the 26-year-old said on Wednesday. “I remember it a little bit, and when I look back, the first thing that strikes me is how cold it was. I remember the goalkeepers were wearing hats on their helmets and things like that. Hopefully it will be warmer in October.” You never know the weather in Edmonton, but it’s supposed to be a little warmer.

The Oilers will host the Calgary Flames in the 2023 Tim Horton’s NHL Heritage Classic on October 29 at Commonwealth Stadium. New tickets for the game will be released on Thursday, 7/9/2023 at 3pm ET.

The opening temperature was minus 2 degrees Celsius when the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Oilers 4-3 in the original Heritage Classic on November 22, 2003 in front of 57,167 spectators. Since then, 36 regular-season NHL games have been held outdoors, attracting 1,851,642 fans.

“It’s something completely different when you can play in a stadium like this and in stadiums all over Canada and the United States,” McDavid said. “The NHL has taken outdoor games to some beautiful, wild places. I’m thinking of the Lake Tahoe games [2021], and then I think of some in California. Who would have imagined outdoor games in California?

“It’s an event that the players look forward to and the fans look forward to. It’s something completely different and something you don’t see every day. I don’t think any other sport can replicate that as well as we can, it’s fun.” to be a part of it.”

A crowd of 60,000 is expected for the 2023 Heritage Classic. This will be McDavid’s second outdoor game. In 2016 he played in the Heritage Classic between the Oilers and Winnipeg Jets. Edmonton won 3-0 in front of 33,240 fans at Investors Group Stadium in Winnipeg.

“I got a penalty with three or four minutes left and I remember sitting in the penalty area and looking around and saying to myself: ‘This is great.'” “He was sick,” McDavid said. “I really enjoyed it. The fans are excited and it feels like a kid playing outside again. Playing hockey outdoors is totally Canadian, and here in Edmonton against the Playing Flames it’s even better.”