Oilers, Flames show up to 2023 Heritage Classic in unique outfits

Well the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers arrived at the 2023 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic all but ensuring that the sun wouldn't be in their eyes.

The Oilers showed up in what appeared to be customized four-person carts in full oil workers gear. Each cart had the team's Heritage Classic logo.

Each player was draped in blue coveralls and wore hard hats with their jersey number on the front and the Oilers logo on the side.

"Obviously, we’re oil rig workers here representing the Oilers. Hard, work, blue collar, let’s go to work, representing the city, so we thought it was a fun idea," Oilers forward Zach Hyman said.

"It’s just a cool thing I think," Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. "I’ve been part of a couple of these [outdoor games] now and I think wearing an outfit coming to the game is a fun part where you can represent the city and your fans and just the people of your city. I think it's a really cool thing and I think they did a great job getting these done."

The Flames came through dressed as ... cowboys? Farmhands? Cattle ranchers? All of the above?

"I guess just a little bit of Western wear for us," Flames forward Andrew Mangiapane said. "It was (teammate) Nazem Kadri’s idea and we went along with it, had some fun with it and they look great, I think."

The team went with denim overalls, and we use the term overalls loosely because they were over pretty much nothing.

But the statement piece was really the large-brimmed cowboy hats each player wore heading into the stadium. And lots of various facial hair styles.

"Dillon Dube was saying yesterday I should shave my beard into handlebars or something," Flames defenseman Chris Tanev said. "It was a little patchy for some handlebars, but I think I can have a pretty good moustache."

Both teams were clearly in the true spirit of the Halloween season.

NHL.com staff writer Derek Van Diest contributed to this report