Frequently asked questions:

1. what is the ‘Heritage’ in the Heritage Classic?

The intent of the Heritage Classic is to pay homage to the roots of the game on frozen outdoor rinks in Canada. The first two Heritage Classics — in Edmonton in 2003 and in Calgary in 2011 — succeeded in that vein, thanks to the frigid Alberta weather. Obviously, that’s a big stretch in Vancouver. The other angle, of course, is that the Canucks’opponent in Sunday’s game — the Ottawa Senators — are from the same city the Vancouver Millionaires played in 1915 when they won the city’s only Stanley Cup. But the two current teams have no connection to those who contested the Cup 99 years ago.

2. will the roof be open?

It depends on the weather. If it rains heavily or there’s high winds, no. Otherwise, quite likely. The NHL will decide on Sunday morning.

3. How much money will the nHL/Canucks owners make from this?

According to a report from the Sports Business Journal, citing an NHL source, this year’s Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium posted revenues of about $30 million (all figures US), with costs of about $10 million, for a profit of $20 million. There are a lot of moving parts in such a production, so this is very general math, but B.C. Place Stadium seats about half of the 105,000 that attended the Michigan game. So $10 million?

4. why are the tickets priced so high?

The NHL says they have based ticket prices ($104.40 to $324.70) on surveys of other similar-profile events in the Vancouver market.