Heritage Classic to bring back childhood memories for Oilers, create new ones

EDMONTON -- NHL outdoor games bring out the kid in players, regardless of how long they have been in the League.

The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames will renew the iconic "Battle of Alberta" in an outdoor setting for the first time when they play the 2023 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium on Sunday (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN, TBS, MAX). For many, it will be a return to their childhood rituals.

"As a kid those are your best memories," Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse said. "You get into minor hockey and it's fun but playing on the pond or someone's backyard rink and playing for hours with your friends from school, that was always awesome."

Every player who grew up in a winter climate skated on an outdoor rink. Growing up it was the place to be and gather with friends and family, playing through frozen fingers and toes.

"I think it's definitely super Canadian and some of those northern U.S. states as well, I know it's big there too," Oilers captain Connor McDavid said. "There is something about just playing outside. Us Canadians just having a pretty bitter winter and still be able to get outside and enjoy the outdoors like we do, whether that's the outdoor rink or skiing or cross-country skiing, it's very Canadian of us and it's what we all love to do."

Growing up in the greater Toronto area, McDavid had his favorite outdoor spot where he would spend hours working on his craft.

"We had a park in Aurora (Ontario), it was actually a baseball diamond that they would flood, it was right across from the community center," he said. "It was a huge thing, and there were times there would be no one out there and you get to skate on this big outdoor rink by yourself and there would be other times where it was pretty packed, and you had to stay in your own little section, so there were lots of good memories out there. I have great memories of going out there after school with my brother and family and friends. Lots of great memories on the outdoor rink, for sure."

McDavid and his family had a backyard rink for a time as well, where he and his older brother Cameron would skate. He said it did not last long.

"It became time for a deck and a hot tub, or an outdoor rink, and my dad elected to put in a deck and a hot tub," McDavid said. "I think my mom had some influence on that too. The backyard rink was finished after that."

Though McDavid was projected to miss 1-2 weeks with an upper-body injury sustained Oct. 21, Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft did not rule him out for the game Sunday.

The 2023 Heritage Classic will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the first NHL regular-season game held outdoors, when the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Oilers 4-3 at Commonwealth Stadium on Nov. 22, 2003. The game launched a trend, which has since seen 37 outdoor games and remains immensely popular among fans and players alike.

"It's really fun. It doesn't feel like a regular-season game, it feels like its own event," Oilers forward Zach Hyman said. "It counts toward the regular season, but it feels like it means more. There is so much that goes into it. You have family skates, you have the media, you have different equipment, different attire. The day is different, sometimes you're waiting on sunlight, sometimes you're waiting on other things. There are so many variables that sometimes you can't take your routine into it."

Hyman will participate in his third NHL outdoor game. He helped the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-4 overtime win against the Detroit Red Wings in the 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. Hyman and the Maple Leafs also played the 2018 NHL Stadium Series at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, a 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals.

"They are so much fun, you're putting on new gear, you're putting on clothes that will keep you warm, it's a new spectacle and they're awesome to be a part of, I love them," Hyman said. "It reminds me of being a kid and playing outdoors. You get an atmosphere that you would never get in a closed arena. You get an opened atmosphere with tons of fans. Sometimes it's snowing, it's crazy, it's awesome."

For Canadians, skating on outdoor rinks, ponds and flooded backyards is a rite of passage. NHL outdoor games pay homage to a simpler time in players' lives, and though the two points being contested are important, they almost become secondary in an entire spectacle occurring only a handful of times in a season.

The Heritage Classic is one of four outdoor games scheduled this season. The Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken will play the 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Jan. 1. The Philadelphia Flyers face the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers play the New York Islanders at the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Feb 17 and 18, respectively.

"It's only my third one and it's still special," Hyman said. "You don't know when your next outdoor game is, and you don't know if you'll ever play in another outdoor game. When I played my second one in Toronto, I didn't know if I was going to play in another one. It also means a lot to your family. Your family gets to come out and experience the family skate and all the extra circulars beforehand. It really is an event in itself that is different than a regular-season game."

For the Oilers and Flames, the Heritage Classic will be the third time each team plays outdoors.

"I played the (2016) Heritage Classic in Winnipeg and that was an unbelievable experience, so I'm really looking forward to this one," Nurse said. "It's an interprovincial rivalry, it'll bring out a big crowd and it will be a great atmosphere."