Circle Oct. 26 on your calendar: Regina to host Heritage Classic
NHL announces Mosaic Stadium as site of Calgary vs. Winnipeg outdoor matchup
REGINA The biggest game in Mosaic Stadium’s short history is officially on ice.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced during the second intermission of Tuesday’s Winter Classic at the University of Notre Dame that Regina will host the Heritage Classic on Oct. 26, at the home of the CFL’S Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The game will feature the host Winnipeg Jets versus the Calgary Flames.
“This is a heck of a way to start the new year,” Regina Mayor Michael Fougere said during a media gathering at Mosaic Stadium. “This is the best stadium in Canada — one of the best in North America. I know when I spoke with NHL officials previously they were saying this is a wonderful facility. We can showcase the best stadium in Canada and the best fans in Canada.”
In terms of proximity, Winnipeg is the closest NHL market to Regina. The Saskatchewan capital is located a little less than halfway between Winnipeg and Calgary, allowing the teams to converge smack-dab in the middle of the Canadian prairies.
“There was a sense from the NHL that Winnipeg wanted to be the home team and Winnipeg had a place in this market,” said Evraz Place president/ceo Tim Reid, whose organization runs Mosaic Stadium and handled negotiations with the NHL. “We talked often with the NHL about what teams could be here and ultimately this was their decision. Having two playoff contenders coming to our province next year is going to be a great draw.”
Although Regina has hosted multiple NHL pre-season games over the years, it will be the first time a regular-season contest has been played in the city.
Reid said he began discussing a potential outdoor game with his NHL contacts just about “the minute I got to Regina” about a year ago. He quickly found that the interest from NHL brass was mutual.
“The NHL was in attendance when we had our very first playoff game for the Riders in this stadium (on Nov. 11),” he said. “The snow was blowing. It felt like a winter atmosphere and everybody was excited. Minutes after they walked away they knew this would be a great venue and we were eager to partner with them.”
The 33,000-seat football stadium, which opened in 2016, was slated to be the site of two outdoor games last February — a WHL contest between the Regina Pats and Moose Jaw Warriors, and an NHL alumni game.
However, both contests were moved indoors due to poor ticket sales and concerns over the weather.
According to a team source, the Pats are interested in playing host to a WHL game as part of this event. It would be similar to the 2011 Heritage Classic in Calgary when the Flames faced the Montreal Canadiens, followed the next day by a WHL game featuring the Pats and Calgary Hitmen.
In the past, Heritage Classics also have featured NHL alumni games.
Reid said there haven’t yet been any formal discussions about a game involving the Pats, but he’s eager to see what opportunities might come to fruition.
“This is a great tourism event — one that will bring $15 million in economic (impact) to our province,” he said.
“And more importantly it will showcase our province and our assets to an international stage. When you look at the viewership on national and international television for an outdoor game, it rivals a Grey Cup. The more we put into this, the more we can be creative, I’m certain the NHL will be anxious to partner on great opportunities.”
Regina’s game will be the fifth instalment of the Canadian-based Heritage Classic after previous events were held on Nov. 22, 2003 (Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium), Feb. 20, 2011 (Calgary’s Mcmahon Stadium), March 2, 2014 (Vancouver’s BC Place) and Oct. 23, 2016 (Winnipeg’s Investors Group Field).
Details on tickets are expected to be released in the coming weeks. The prices will be set by the NHL. “What they’ve said is they will be consistent with what we’ve seen in pricing in other marketplaces,” said Reid, who believes the game will be worth the price of admission.
“We’re the only out-of-market location to get an NHL (outdoor) game in Canada and we may never
The NHL was in attendance when we had our very first playoff game for the Riders in this stadium. The snow was blowing. It felt like a winter atmosphere.
get this opportunity again. If we put the energy behind this that we’re known for in Saskatchewan and bring our pride, I think this is going to be one of the best outdoor games that the NHL has ever seen.”