2003 Heritage Classic

The NHL Heritage Classic 2003 was an outdoor ice hockey game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens, which was held on 22 November 2003 at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was the first outdoor game in the history of the National Hockey League and was launched after in 2001 had taken place between the ice hockey teams of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, a play in American football stadium in East Lansing.

The Heritage Classic was played in front of 57 167 spectators at Commonwealth Stadium instead and thus constituted a record number of visitors in the NHL on. The crowd was great, despite temperatures around -18 ° C. Reason for the discharge of such an unusual place was the 25 -year-old league affiliation of the Oilers.

Mega Stars game

The first was the "Mega - Stars Game" on the program between the best players who had previously played for the team. The crew of the Oilers consisted mainly of players of the eighties, when they were able to win five Stanley Cups. Leader of the " mega-star " team of Edmonton was Wayne Gretzky. The Canadiens were represented by players of the highly successful seventies, and some players from the Stanley Cup in 1986 and 1993. They were led by Guy Lafleur. Exclusively Stanley Cup winners were for both teams on the ice, with the exception of the first team captain of the Oilers, Ron Chipperfield, and Russ Courtnall for the Canadiens. Mark Messier, who was active at this time for the New York Rangers in the NHL, was cleared of his team for the Oilers in the "Mega Star Game " to compete. The game was set at two times 15 minutes. The Oilers won the game 2-0 in the end.

Team Line-up

Edmonton Oilers Mega Stars

Montreal Canadiens megastars

NHL game

Then it came to the NHL game between the two teams, who won Montreal 4-3. Richard Zedník of the Canadiens scored the first goal of the game, and later still the ultimate.

Succession events

On 1 January 2008 there was with the NHL Winter Classic 2008 a second outdoor game of the National Hockey League. In Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, the Buffalo Sabres met the Pittsburgh Penguins. The NHL Winter Classic is held annually since (except for 2013).

Also, the NHL Heritage Classic has become a regular feature of the NHL.