NHL Heritage Classic: Series History & What to Know for 2026

Hockey hits the great Canadian outdoors for the NHL Heritage Classic. Starting as the NHL’s first-ever outdoor, regular season game in 2003, the league’s premier stadium series continues to build the tradition with marquee matchups held in Canada typically between two Canadian clubs. The 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic brings the outdoor series up to its eighth installment with a faceoff between the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Find the complete history of the NHL Heritage Classic and details for the 2026 edition below, and check out our NHL ticket-buying guide for tips to attending the series and more.

NHL Heritage Classic FAQ

Who’s playing in the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic?

The 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic will feature the Winnipeg Jets playing as the home team against the Montreal Canadiens. Both teams have appeared twice in the NHL Heritage Classic: the Canadiens in 2003 and 2011 and the Jets in 2016 and 2019. The Canadiens won in 2003, while the Jets won in 2019.

When is the NHL Heritage Classic?

The 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic will take place on October 25, 2026.

Where is the NHL Heritage Classic Being Played?

The 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic will be hosted at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba, home of the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

History of the NHL Heritage Classic

When the puck dropped on the first NHL Heritage Classic in 2003, the outdoor stadium match carved a path for all future NHL outdoor events like the NHL Winter Classic and the NHL Stadium Series. Hosted in different cities across Canada, the NHL Heritage Classic takes place every one to three years, historically amongst the league’s Canadian NHL teams. However, the 2022 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic featured the first non-Canadian participant when the Buffalo Sabres traveled north to face the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The inaugural NHL Heritage Classic was played on November 22, 2003 between the Montreal Canadians and the Edmonton Oilers at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Ontario. In the lead-up, a lottery for tickets received over 750,000 total entries, and the pregame festivities included an alumni game with legends from each team like Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Guy Lafleur. Ultimately, the Habs beat the Oilers, 4-3, in wind-chill temperatures that reached -22 degrees Fahrenheit.

After the successful launch of the NHL Winter Classic in 2008, the Canadian series returned as the Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic in 2011 with the host Calgary Flames defeating the Canadiens, 4-0. Since the 2011 game, the series has consistently been played every one to three seasons. The third NHL Heritage Classic took place in 2014, followed again in 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2023. The 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic will mark the eighth matchup in the series. As of 2022, all seven Canadian teams have played in at least one NHL Heritage Classic.

Over the years, the series has earned its own traditions and notable moments. During the inaugural 2003 game, Canadiens goalie José Théodore started the trend of placing a winter beanie over his helmet. The 2011 follow-up featured Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff forcing a 4-0 shut-out against the Canadiens, while the Oilers’ Cam Talbot stopped all 31 shots in a 3-0 victory against the Jets in 2016. The NHL Heritage Classic went into overtime for the first time in 2019 with the Jets’ win over the Flames. Building on one the NHL’s biggest rivalries, the 2023 edition staged a stadium-sized Battle of Alberta between the Flames and Oilers, with the Oilers claiming victory, 5-2.

Past NHL Heritage Classic results