The sixth Heritage Classic for 2022 was played at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario. The Toronto Maple Leafs made their first Heritage Classic appearance (they were the only Canadian team who had yet to play in a Heritage Classic, although they had appeared in a Winter Classic, the Centennial Classic and in one Stadium Series game), and played against the Buffalo Sabres, the first U.S. team appearing in a Heritage Classic.[5]
Demand for tickets to the game was unprecedented in the history of Edmonton sports events.[9] After sales to Edmonton's season ticket holders and league sponsors, the Oilers held a lottery for the remaining 7,000 seats that awarded 1,750 persons the opportunity to purchase four tickets each. The team received over 750,000 entries from around the world.[10] The game attracted a crowd of 57,167 that set an NHL single-game attendance record that more than doubled the previous mark.[11] The event featured an alumni game between past greats of the Canadiens and Oilers, including Wayne Gretzky and Guy Lafleur.[12] The game itself was played at a temperature of −19 °C (−2 °F); the Canadiens defeated the Oilers by a score of 4–3.[11]
Fireworks at the end of the 2011 Heritage Classic. The event was revived in 2011 as a Canadian equivalent to the Winter Classic.
The success of the Heritage Classic led to the 2008 Winter Classic, which was played in Buffalo between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins.[13] A new league record crowd of 71,217 watched the Penguins defeat the Sabres in a game that quickly became the NHL's showcase event.[14] The Winter Classic became an annual event but focused on American teams. Faced with increasing criticism at the lack of Canadian participation in the Winter Classic, the NHL revived the Heritage Classic in 2011 and pitted the Canadiens against the host Calgary Flames.[15] It marked the first time the NHL held two outdoor games in the same season, a decision that some commentators, including ESPN's Scott Burnside, argued would dilute the spectacle of the Winter Classic.[16]
Like the Edmonton game, the 2011 Heritage Classic was a success, as the Flames defeated Montreal 4–0 in front of 41,022 fans at McMahon Stadium.[17] The game achieved high television ratings in both Canada and the United States and, due to record sponsorship,[1] grossed the highest revenue for a single event in NHL history.[2]
On January 1, 2023, the NHL announced that Commonwealth Stadium would return as host of the Heritage Classic in 2023, this time showcasing the Battle of Alberta between the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers.[20] The Oilers would come away with a 5-2 victory over the Flames.
CBC's Hockey Night in Canada broadcast the 2003, 2011, 2014 and 2019 games. In the first three editions, CBC Sports solely produced the games, then in 2019, Sportsnet not only took over production, but also simulcast the game on their networks. In 2016, 2022 and 2023, the games were aired only on Sportsnet.
In the United States, the first Heritage Classic was not broadcast to then-rightsholders ESPN/ABC due to its prior commitments with college football. Instead, the game was aired to American audiences on NHL Center Ice via the CBC feed. In 2011, 2014 and 2019, Versus/NBCSN would air the Heritage Classic, with the network providing their own broadcast crews for the first two games, and the last game featuring a simulcast from Sportsnet. In 2016, NHL Network simulcast Sportsnet's broadcast of the Heritage Classic. Then in 2022, TNT aired the Heritage Classic with their own broadcast crews, as the game featured an American team for the first time. In 2023, TNT's sister channel TBS aired the 2023 Heritage Classic, marking the first NHL regular season game broadcast by the network.
