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Saturday's Heritage Classic will be the first time in the NHL's 86-year history that a regular-season contest will be held out of doors.
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Fans counting the
minutes for Classic
By Shawn P. Roarke
NHL.com
November 21, 2003
EDMONTON -- Not even Thursday's bone-chilling cold could put a damper on the Heritage Classic fervor that is gripping this city. Hundreds of die-hard fans stood outside for close to an hour, if not longer, Thursday night at Edmonton's City Hall to catch a glimpse of some of the retired players scheduled to take part in Saturday's MegaStars Game between alumni from the Montreal Canadiens and the Edmonton Oilers. That game precedes the historic Heritage Classic game between the current Oilers and Canadiens. Both games will be played outside at nearby Commonweath Stadium, marking the first time in the NHL's 86-year history that a regular-season contest will be held out of doors. Thursday's low temperature approached minus-20 Celsius as the city suffered through its first true cold snap of the winter. Yet, that did not deter the fans, many coming together as families, from making the trek to City Hall for Heritage Classic Kick-Off, which featured the first public introduction of the MegaStars players. Related Links
Heritage Classic on TV- on the CBC (HD simulcast), RDS/SRC (Canada)
and NHL Center Ice, HDNet (U.S.) - 4:30 ET
Alumni Game - 7:00 ET
Canadiens vs. Oilers
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"It was cold out there," said Bill Aylwin, 50 and a native Edmontonian. "But, it was worth it to see those guys." Love for all things Oilers runs in the Aylwin family, despite the fact that Bill was donning an old-school New Jersey Devils winter jacket ? the Christmas-tree green and red motif -- for this occasion. "We've had some good hockey here," said Aylwin almost wistfully as he stood inside City Hall watching Canadien MegaStar Steve Shutt and Oilers MegaStar Dave
Semenko take part in an autograph session for the fans that braved the cold temperatures. "I wish I had tickets for Saturday's game. That would be awesome.
I'm actually trying to get a ticket for my mom. She's 80." Dedication and heartiness like that is commonplace in this city, especially when it comes to the Oilers. The Heritage Classic has captured the imagination of
this city. Most fans here find nothing unusual with the notion of sitting outside for close to six hours to watch Saturday's action. Demand for tickets remains unprecedented despite the fact that Saturday's forecast calls for a game-time temperature in the
minus-10 Celsius range. "It's going to be amazing," said Cory Clendenning, 34, who does have a ticket for the game. "You're going to have 55,000 people freezing their (butts) off to watch hockey. There's not many places that can say that!" Clendenning, another Edmonton native, basically came of age during Edmonton's dynastic run in the 1980s. This week's festivities surrounding the Heritage Classic have allowed him to revisit that time. As he spoke of his memories, he proudly clutched a Semenko Oilers' jersey, having just had the blue-and-orange sweater signed by one of his childhood idols. "I was just a wee little kid and I watched a lot of these guys come through Edmonton and struggle in those first few years," he said. "It was tough. They were young and they made a lot of mistakes."  | |
Fans in Edmonton are excited to see their hockey heroes together on the ice again.
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But, before long, those Oilers gelled into perhaps the greatest team the NHL, if not the world, has ever seen. Thursday, the citizens of Edmonton were allowed to celebrate that legacy again, loudly cheering those history makers that were on hand for Thursday's ceremony. They also cheered many of the Canadien alumni, saving their loudest responses among the Montreal players for defenseman Larry Robinson and
forward Guy Lafleur, who is the MegaStars captain for the Canadiens. Although some players were still in transit to Edmonton, including living legend Wayne Gretzky, the crowd was not disappointed in the quality of the players on hand to represent the Oilers. Grant Fuhr, Kevin Lowe, Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey and Glenn Anderson were highlights for many of those in attendance. Once everyone filed into City Hall for the Coca-Cola Hockey Experience -- a display of trophies and artifacts from the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto that is open all weekend -- and a chance to escape the biting cold, the talk again turned to the magic that awaits this city, and hockey fans across the world, when the Oilers and Canadiens make history outdoors in less than 48 hours. Outdoor hockey is ingrained in the people here. They grow up in the harshest of winter conditions and are hardened to all but the most inclement of weather. As soon as they learn how to skate, the outdoor rink -- whether it be a pond, lake, river or municipal
setup -- becomes a second home. "I played outside every day," said Aylwin. "Playing outside then was just like me going to Wendy's now. It's everyday!" Jeff Brasok, 39, grew up in nearby Camrose, a small town about 60 kilometers southeast of Edmonton. Today, he works in the city. He wandered over Thursday to
also check things out. He stood out among the throngs of fans by wearing a toque with the logo of the now-extinct Hartford Whalers. Despite also playing outside on an almost daily basis during the winters of his youth, Brasok was still having trouble wrapping his head around the concept of NHL players doing the same thing -- and in his backyard, no less. "I can't believe this is going to happen," said Brasok. "It's going to be unbelievable."
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