2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic game day plans

NEW YORK -- The National Hockey League (NHL) today announced game day plans for the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® New Year's Day outdoor contest between the Boston Bruins® and Montreal Canadiens® at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The event will be broadcast live nationally on NBC in the U.S. and on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada at 1 p.m. ET.

Montreal-based band Simple Plan has been added to the musical lineup for the event. The band will perform the Canadian national anthem and return to the stage during the second intermission for a set. Boasting worldwide sales topping 10 million, the band's Get Your Heart On! album spawned international hits with "Jetlag" and "Summer Paradise." The band's current single, "I Don't Wanna Go To Bed," featuring Nelly is racing up the global charts. Their fifth album, Taking One For The Team, is slated for a Feb. 19 worldwide release.

The anthem ceremony also will feature "The Voice" season 9 winner and recording artist Jordan Smith's rendition of the U.S. national anthem with accompaniment from musicians from the Boston Pops; a color guard made up of members of each of the five military branches; and Greater Boston Junior Bruins youth hockey players serving as flag bearers.

Immediately following the U.S. and Canadian anthems, pilots from the 143rd Airlift Squadron of the Rhode Island Air National Guard will fly a single C-130J plane over Gillette Stadium to celebrate the start of the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic®.

As previously announced, alternative rock band American Authors and singer/songwriter Nate Ruess will give pre-game and first intermission performances, respectively.

Bridgestone and the NHL will welcome members from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston. Across America, Bridgestone and the Boys and Girls Clubs have teamed up to enable young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. In the Boston area, the Boys and Girls Clubs serve more than 16,000 youth through 11 different clubs annually.

NHL Network™ and NHL.com will provide extensive coverage live from the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic®. NHL Social™ will have exclusive coverage on all social platforms, via the hashtag #WinterClassic. For the latest on the NHL Winter Classic®, visit NHL.com, follow the NHL on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and join the conversation by using the official hashtag #WinterClassic.