Jonathan Huberdeau spent the first 10 seasons of his NHL career with the Florida Panthers, the southernmost team in the League and one of four teams yet to play an outdoor game.
The forward was traded to the Calgary Flames on July 22, 2022. One day last season, his family came to visit from Saint-Jerome, Quebec. And what did they do as an activity during a precious moment away from hockey?
They went for a skate outdoors.
They even bought skates for everyone to keep in Calgary, so whenever they come back, they can do it again.
“I hadn’t done that in so many years,” Huberdeau said. “It was just cool to do that.”
So, imagine how cool it will be for Huberdeau to play in his first NHL outdoor game when the Flames play the Edmonton Oilers in the 2023 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton on Sunday (7 p.m. ET; SN, TVAS, TBS, Max).
The Heritage Classic celebrates hockey’s outdoor roots in Canada, roots that resonate with Huberdeau. He grew up in Prevost, Quebec, before he moved a few kilometers south to Saint-Jerome when he was 12. He and his buddies would walk 10-15 minutes to the neighborhood outdoor rink.
It was classic heritage. Kids put on their skates in a shed, then played shinny with whoever was there. The games could be 15 vs. 15.
“It was something to do at night, on weekends,” Huberdeau said. “I just remember freezing my toes and being outside for hours.”
Prevost and Saint-Jerome are a little more than an hour northwest of Montreal. Huberdeau was a fan of the Montreal Canadiens.
This event marks the 20th anniversary of the NHL’s first modern outdoor game, a 4-3 win for the Canadiens against the Oilers before 57,167 at the same stadium Nov. 22, 2003.
Huberdeau was 10 at the time, and he said he’s pretty sure he watched the original Heritage Classic on television. He remembers that forward Saku Koivu and Michael Ryder were on the team and that goalie Jose Theodore wore a toque atop his mask.
The official temperature was 0 degrees Fahrenheit at face-off that day.
“That was a cold one,” Huberdeau said with a laugh. “I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be that cold.”
The forecast for Sunday is a high of 37 and a low of 21. This will be the first time the Battle of Alberta has been waged outdoors and the largest crowd to attend a game in the rivalry.
“The experience is going to be unbelievable,” Huberdeau said. “But at the end of the day, it’s a huge game for us. We want to get the two points. It’s a four-point game. Yeah, it’s important. Especially with the Battle of Alberta, it’s going to be even more electric, so I’m excited for that.”
Huberdeau is key to the Flames’ fortunes.
The Flames lost to the Oilers 4-1 in the best-of-7 Western Conference Second Round in 2022. Then forward Johnny Gaudreau left as an unrestricted free agent, signing a seven-year, $68.25 million contract ($9.75 million average annual value) with the Columbus Blue Jackets on July 14, 2022.
Gaudreau had 115 points (40 goals, 75 assists) in 82 games in 2021-22, tied for second in the NHL with Huberdeau, who had 115 points (30 goals, 85 assists) in 80 games. After the Flames acquired Huberdeau from the Panthers, they signed him to an eight-year, $84 million extension ($10.5 million) on Aug. 5, 2022.
Huberdeau went from an offensive team to a defensive team and from spending his whole career in one sunny place to moving across the continent to a different, cold-weather city. He had 55 points (15 goals, 40 assists) in 79 games last season. The 60-point drop was an NHL record. The Flames missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“It’s not just, you know, put on another jersey and everything’s going to be great,” said Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom, who also played with Huberdeau in Florida from 2012-14. “It’s a lot of new things and stuff off the ice as well that’s affecting the game.”
But now the Flames have a new coach in Ryan Huska, who allows more freedom in the offensive zone.
“He wants you to make your plays,” Huberdeau said. “He has confidence in you. That was really huge for me. That’s what I needed.”
Huberdeau also has a season of experience in Calgary. He called the difference “night and day.”
“Last year was difficult, but I had to adjust,” he said. “I’ve got a house there, and I like the city. It’s fun to be around. You’ve got the mountains close. Just being with the guys, being more comfortable at the rink. On the ice, it’s going to come. It’s going to be better. But overall, I feel way more comfortable.”
Huberdeau had four points (two goals, two assists) in his first four games, and the Flames were 2-1-1.
“I feel like, ‘Huby,’ he’s back,” center Nazem Kadri said around that time. “He’s feeling like himself again on and off the ice. That’s a big part of it. I think he’s more comfortable in his situation in Calgary now. He’s ready to take that next step and be great for us.”
The Flames need Huberdeau to be in the Heritage Classic. He has no points during Calgary’s current four-game losing streak.
“I want to have fun,” Huberdeau said. “I want to enjoy it and look around. There’s going to be a lot of people there, the atmosphere. Just take it all in and enjoy every moment.”
