Countdown to NHL Centennial Classic begins

TORONTO/NEW YORK --With just one month until the 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic™, the countdown to the much-anticipated Original Six™ rivalry game between the Detroit Red Wings® and Toronto Maple Leafs® on Sunday, Jan. 1 at Exhibition Stadium has begun. The outdoor game will be broadcast live nationally on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada and on NBC in the U.S. at 3 p.m. ET.
The game will launch the NHL's year-long Centennial celebrations that will feature a variety of ceremonies, recognitions, observances and special events highlighting 100 years of NHL hockey and also will recognize a number of milestone anniversaries for member Clubs, including the Maple Leafs and Red Wings. As part of the outdoor game celebration, fans of all ages are invited to join the League and its partners at The PreGame, a free fan festival.

Events and activities leading up to the 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic™ include:

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The Rink Build at Exhibition Stadium

The 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic™ Ice Plant- the custom-built 53-foot, 300-ton capacity truck that houses the world's largest mobile rink refrigeration unit and will be used to make the ice sheet for the 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic™ - will arrive at Exhibition Stadium on Friday, Dec. 16. After the installation of field protection, 243 ice pans and a ring of dasher boards to enclose the rink, workers will create a nearly two-inch think ice surface at Exhibition Stadium. Fans will be able to follow the entire rink-build process through interactive features and extensive coverage on NHL.com and NHL Network™.

EPIX Presents Road To the NHL Outdoor Classics

Returning this season, this original series has become an essential part of the NHL outdoor game experience for NHL players and fans alike. The weekly series, consisting of four one-hour episodes, provides an all-access look at the lives of the Maple Leafs and Red Wings on and off the ice. In addition, the series also will include all-access looks at the lives of Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues, who are playing in the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® in St. Louis on Jan. 2. Produced by Emmy® award winner Ross Greenburg, narrated by Bill Camp (Jason Bourne, Birdman, 12 Years A Slave), EPIX Presents Road To the NHL Outdoor Classics will make its U.S. television premiere Friday, Dec. 16, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, 9 p.m. CT, 9C on EPIX. In addition to its airing on EPIX, U.S. hockey fans will be able to stream each episode of EPIX Presents Road To the NHL Outdoor Classics as a simulcast on EPIX.com and NHL.com.

Team Practices at Exhibition Stadium

The Red Wings will take to the ice for the first time at Exhibition Stadium on Friday Dec. 30 for team practice. The Maple Leafs will practice on the outdoor ice on Saturday, Dec. 31. NHL Network™ and NHL.com will provide full coverage of the team skates throughout the day. Practice times are subject to change.

2017 Rogers NHL Centennial Classic™ Alumni Game

More than 40 former Maple Leafs and Red Wings players and coaches are scheduled to participate in the renewal of this legendary rivalry in the unique Exhibition Stadium outdoor setting. Those scheduled to return for the Maple leafs include Wendel Clark, Darryl Sittler, Mats Sundin, Doug Gilmour and more. The Red Wings' roster includes Brendan Shanahan, Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Chelios, Sergei Fedorov, among many other notable names. The game begins Saturday, Dec. 31, at Noon ET at Exhibition Stadium.

The PreGame

With support from NHL partners, The PreGame is a free fan festival featuring interactive hockey-themed attractions, live music, prizes and giveaways, food and beverages, and retail locations with an extensive selection of officially-licensed Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic™ merchandise and collectibles for fans of all ages. The PreGame will be held at Exhibition Place Parking Lot #2 from 9 a.m. - Noon ET on Saturday, Dec. 31 and from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 1.

100 Greatest NHL Players

To launch the League's year-long Centennial celebrations, members of the 100 Greatest Players from the NHL's early years (1917-1967) will be unveiled and honored in a special ceremony at the 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic™. The 2017 NHL Centennial celebrations will visit every NHL market and dozens of other local hockey communities during a 12-month festival of events and content initiatives culminating with the anniversary of the League's founding on Nov. 26 and first games on Dec. 19.

Fan Reminders

All persons and their possessions entering Exhibition Stadium during the 2017 Rogers NHL Centennial Classic™ Alumni Game and 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic™ are subject to inspection and security screening. Stadium regulations allow only soft-sided bags and containers 14"x14"6" or smaller to be permitted in the stadium. All permitted items are subject to search both upon entry and within the stadium.
Guests may not exit and re-enter Exhibition Stadium using the same ticket. Children 24 months and under may enter without a ticket, but must sit on the lap of an accompanying adult. All children over 24 months must have a valid ticket for a specific seat location.
Tickets are available for purchase to the 2017 Rogers NHL Centennial Classic™ at
www.Ticketmaster.com
and
www.Ticketmaster.ca
, the official ticket marketplace of the NHL®.
Fan hospitality and travel packages for the 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic™ are available from PrimeSport, the Official Fan Travel and Hospitality Package Partner of the NHL®. For more information please visit
www.primesport.com/nhl
.