The Battle of Alberta and the rich hockey history of that province is front and center on the jerseys the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames will wear in the 2023 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic.
The jerseys, unveiled by the NHL and adidas on Tuesday, feature nods to the 1952 Edmonton Mercurys, who, while representing Canada, won the gold medal at the 1952 Oslo Olympics, and the historic Calgary Stampeders hockey team of the 1950s and 1960s.
The 37th regular-season outdoor game in NHL history will be played at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, on Sunday, Oct. 29 (7 p.m. ET, SN, TVAS, TNT). The first regular-season outdoor game in the NHL was played at Commonwealth Stadium on Nov. 22, 2003, when the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Oilers 4-3.
For the host Oilers jerseys, adidas created new front crest artwork that combines the vintage-inspired uniform with the distinctive oil drop of the Oilers, featuring a player number in the oil drop crest. The new player names and numbers, designed by adidas, are rendered in layered felt. Adidas paid meticulous attention to details in completing this traditional look, including the use of sleeve numbers on only one arm and the captain’s marks overlapping the shoulder yoke.
The Flames jerseys have a nod to the historic red and white colorway used by the Stampeders. The only Flames gold featured within the entire uniform is the word “CALGARY FLAMES” in the crest and top stitch detailing in the numbers.
Adidas designed the new player names and numbers that are rendered in felt with top stitch details meant to evoke denim-reinforced sewing techniques seen on a cowboy’s blue jeans. Adidas’ attention to detail included incorporating elements that were inspired by vintage designs like the extended yoke that drops so low on the sleeve that the sleeve numbers sit upon it.
Battle of Alberta is emblazoned on the inside back neck in a tribute to this celebrated rivalry and the return of the NHL Heritage Classic to its inaugural venue.
The NHL Heritage Classic jerseys will be available for purchase at adidas.com, adidas.ca, NHLShop.com, NHLShop.ca, Fanatics’ network of online stores and at Oilers’ and Flames’ team stores. In addition, the jerseys will be offered at additional retailers.
A limited number of tickets are available for purchase via Ticketmaster.
Further details for the 2023 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic will be announced in the coming weeks. For the latest event information, visit NHL.com and follow @NHL and @PR_NHL. Fans can join the conversation by using the official hashtag #HeritageClassic.
