The NHL has a tradition of hosting outdoor games, including the Winter Classic, Heritage Classic, and the Stadium Series. The Winter Classic and Stadium Series traditionally take place in the United States, while the Heritage Classic traditionally takes place in Canada.
While the Winter Classic and Stadium Series typically occur each year, the Heritage Classic has been held less frequently since its inception in 2003. The most recent Heritage Classic was during the 2021-22 season. This season's match-up will be the seventh Heritage Classic.
This exciting tradition returns in the 2023-24 season, kicking off the slate of outdoor match-ups. The Heritage Classic is a game to watch.
Date, location, teams, and more about the Winter Classic
The 2023 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic will take place at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The big match-up will take place on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. MDT.
How can you watch the game? The Heritage Classic will exclusively air on TNT. Information on purchasing tickets to the game can be found here. This season's Heritage Classic will feature the Calgary Flames playing the Edmonton Oilers. Both teams are in the Pacific Division, which is part of the Western Conference. This is the Oilers' second time hosting the Heritage Classic.
In 2022-23, the Flames finished just outside of the Central Division playoff spots with 93 points. They were fifth in the Pacific Division. This season, the Flames have another tough road to fitting into the playoff picture. They're in a division with the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Golden Knights, as well as the Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings. The Flames traded away their top scorer, Tyler Toffoli, in the offseason. New addition Yegor Sharangovich will get a chance to be a top-six forward, which he couldn't have gotten with the New Jersey Devils due to their loaded forward group.
The Oilers finished the 2022-23 season with 109 points, in second place just two points behind the eventual cup winners, the Golden Knights. They reached the second round of the playoffs. This season, the Oilers will be a very strong team again, and they're considered Stanley Cup contenders. The Athletic (subscription required) recently named the Oilers as having the best top-six in the NHL.
There are many exciting players to watch in this season's Heritage Classic. Noah Hanifin is a smooth-skating two-way defenseman on the Flames. Elias Lindholm is a two-way center who skates well and grinds. The Oilers have the best player in the NHL, Connor McDavid, who is fresh off of his third Hart Trophy win for MVP of the league. They also have another top center, Leon Draisaitl, who was ranked number three on NHL Network's list of the top NHL players.
In addition to the Heritage Classic, the Flames and Oilers also face off on Jan. 20, 2024, and April 6, 2024, in Calgary and Feb. 24, 2024, in Edmonton.