NHL to make an official Heritage Classic announcement Sunday

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This article was published 05/03/2016 (3488 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly will be in Winnipeg today to make the official announcement of the NHL’s Heritage Classic game for the 2016-17 season.

The event will take place at Investors Group Field on the weekend of Oct. 22-23 and feature the Jets against the Edmonton Oilers.

The festivities around the outdoor game will include an alumni game and given that former Jets captain Dale Hawerchuk will also be in Winnipeg today as part of the announcement, you can expect Hawerchuk to be the captain of the Jets alumni team for that event.

Today’s announcement will take place at 12:30 p.m. at the MTS Centre’s club lounge and is being broadcast live on Sportsnet.

The Jets had hoped to stage their outdoor game last December, just after the Grey Cup game, but the team, the NHL and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were unable to iron out all the logistics for that timing so close after Winnipeg’s Grey Cup.

Instead, the league has embraced the idea for a game next season and earlier than any other outdoor game has been played in the league, taking advantage of the idea better weather will make for a better experience for all.

The coming 2016 Heritage Classic will be the fourth Heritage Classic game. The most recent contest was in 2014 in Vancouver’s BC Place between the Canucks and Ottawa Senators.

This fall’s game is the first outdoor game to be revealed for next season. Details of the league’s annual Winter Classic game have not yet been announced.

The NHL has staged 17 outdoor games since the first Heritage Classic between the Oilers and Montreal Canadiens at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton in 2003. Winnipeg will be the 21st team to participate.

— with files from The Associated Press