Heritage Classic Jerseys Released

The Winter Classic isn’t the only outdoor NHL game being held next season, as the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadians will face off in McMahon Stadium for the Heritage Classic.

“The Flames will pay tribute to their heritage by wearing a special jersey that was designed with the help of Reebok to give it a vintage look. The Canadiens will wear their traditional white road jerseys, but modifications to the player numbers will reflect the color combinations worn on their white jerseys throughout their history — specifically how the numbers appeared during both the 1986 and 1989 Stanley Cup Finals against the Flames.

The 2003 Heritage Classic featured the Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers and was played in front of 57,167 fans at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. The game was contested in sub-zero temperatures and is probably best remembered for the images of Canadiens goaltender Jose Theodore donning a toque over his mask than for Montreal’s 4-3 victory. The temperature at the game — which was played in late November, 171 miles north of McMahon Stadium — was minus-4 degrees Fahrenheit. Fans in Calgary should expect warmer weather in late February, when the average temperature in the area is between 22 and 30 degrees.

McMahon Stadium might not carry the same cachet as historic Wrigley Field and Fenway Park does with fans in the United States, but the 50-year-old building has had its share of historic moments. It was constructed over a 100-day period in 1960 and later expanded to its current capacity in 1988 to serve as the site of the opening and closing ceremonies for the Winter Olympics. The Grey Cup has been held at McMahon Stadium in 1975, 1993, 2000 and 2009.” {NHL.com}

The Flames, although not rolling with a traditionally precise replication of some of their older uniforms, are still paying homage to their history:

“The Calgary Flames unveiled the specially designed uniform they will don at the Heritage Classic. It pays tribute to the Calgary Tigers, the first major professional team in the city. It existed from 1920 to 1927 and was the first team in Calgary to compete for the Stanley Cup.” {Icethetics}

McMahon Stadium has a listed capacity of a little over 35,000, but when it hosted the CFL’s Grey Cup, the stadium held 46,020 fans, and the turnout should be just as good, if not better, for the Heritage Classic. Yeah, it’s not the Winter Classic (as all have been played in the US thus far), but it’s a decent consolation prize.

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