Blue Bombers: Not our fault no Heritage Classic in Winnipeg
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/01/2015 (3890 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
COLUMBUS — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are weary of wearing the goat horns for the postponement of the Heritage Classic that was planned at Investors Group Field next winter.
Bomber president and CEO Wade Miller took exception to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s suggestion Saturday here at the All-Star Weekend’s festivities that the game has been delayed because the football club wouldn’t make the stadium available in December.
Bettman, in announcing a slate of three outdoor games in Boston (Canadiens vs. Bruins) on New Year’s Day, in Minnesota (Wild vs. Chicago) on Feb. 21 and Denver (Avalanche vs. Detroit) on Feb. 27, did say the league hoped to play a fourth game in Winnipeg but the three parties — including, obviously, the Jets — couldn’t agree on a date.
Since the postponement became official last week, the Bombers have been taking flak for not making the stadium available in December — a date that was too close to the 2015 Grey Cup game to be held at IGF on Nov. 29th.
“It’s unfortunate the commissioner of the NHL may not have all the facts with regards to the Heritage Classic in Winnipeg,” said Bombers President Wade Miller. “All three parties had agreed on the date in February. Within the last two weeks, we were told that didn’t work for the NHL.
“There was a date in January that didn’t work for True North and a date in December that didn’t work for the Bombers. We look forward to hosting the game next year or the year after.”
Bettman did promise as much in his address Saturday.
“We had hoped to have a fourth outdoor game in 2015-16 season, a Heritage Classic in Winnipeg,” he said. “We were unable to agree with the Blue Bombers on a date that would make each comfortable. Hopefully we can schedule something for the following season. There are no firm plans to announce other than it’s something we’d like to do because we very much wanted an outdoor game next season in Winnipeg.”
Jets governor Mark Chipman, meanwhile, said Saturday he was disappointed, but they completely understand the Bombers position on not wanting a Heritage Classic game in December and so close to the Grey Cup.
The good news for the Bombers, Jets and the NHL is this: the initially proposed game for Winnipeg in February 2016 may still happen in the same calendar year with a possible Heritage Classic in December of next year.
ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca