For the second time ever, Canada gets an outdoor game. Back in 2003, the first Heritage Classic took place in Edmonton and was a phenomenal success. It took until 2008 to bring the outdoor game back, but the Winter Classic is mostly an NBC property and takes place in U.S. cities. So the NHL decided to bring the Heritage Classic back for Canada and this year, it’s in Calgary at McMahon Stadium, the home of the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders. CBC has the rights to the Heritage Classic as it did back in 2003. We have the network’s plans for the game which will be played on Sunday at 6 p.m. in the East. Here are the plans.
CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA ANNOUNCES WEEKEND COVERAGE OF THE 2011 NHL HERITAGE CLASSIC
The NHL’s outdoor game returns to Canada on Sunday, February 20 and CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA is giving the NHL Heritage Classic comprehensive coverage as the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens faceoff from McMahon Stadium at 5 p.m. ET. The game is also available in 3D.
CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA will broadcast live from Calgary as the two iconic franchises meet in the first NHL regular season game played outdoors in Canada since the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Canadiens at Commonwealth Stadium on November 22, 2003. The game caps an exciting week of NHL hockey on CBC, with four matchups in total, including three all-Canadian showdowns.
“We’re thrilled to bring fans the first outdoor NHL Heritage Classic in eight years,” said David Masse, Senior Director, CBC Sports. “Calgary’s McMahon Stadium provides us with a tremendous backdrop to anchor a week of great hockey action on CBC.”
Coverage on Saturday begins with a pre-game show at 5 p.m. ET with host Ron MacLean featuring the history of the outdoor game and interviews with alumni from both teams. A special Sunday night edition of Coach’s Corner with the legendary Don Cherry will warm fans up in the first intermission along with live musical performances throughout the evening. Jim Hughson handles play-by-play duties along with analyst Craig Simpson and ice-level commentary from Glenn Healy. Elliotte Friedman reports from rinkside. Weather reports will also be included in the coverage.
“The NHL Heritage Classic is a marquee event and along with the NHL we are pleased to bring this spectacle to Canadians in both High Definition and in 3D,” says Trevor Pilling, Executive Producer, CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada. “It’s a great opportunity to see the pros play outdoors, the same way most Canadians first fell in love with the game of hockey.”
CBC’s HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA gets the special weekend going tomorrow night with an all-Canadian matchup between Montreal and Edmonton starting at 9 p.m. ET. On Saturday, Feb. 19, the focus shifts to McMahon Stadium at 5 p.m. ET with a special NHL Heritage Classic Countdown and a look back at the 1986 Canadiens and 1989 Flames Stanley Cup winning teams. Hockey Tonight begins at 6:30 p.m. ET followed by the traditional double-header featuring Ottawa at Toronto and Dallas at Vancouver.
The CBC’s HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA weekend schedule includes:
Thurs, Feb. 17
9 p.m. ET Montreal at EdmontonSat, Feb. 19
5 p.m. ET – NHL Heritage Classic Countdown
6:30 p.m. ET Hockey Tonight
7 p.m. ET Ottawa at Toronto
10 p.m. ET Dallas at VancouverSun, Feb. 20 – LIVE in 3D from McMahon Stadium
5 p.m. ET – NHL Heritage Classic Pre-Game Show
6 p.m. ET – NHL Heritage Classic – Montreal at Calgary
And that’s it.
