Jets, NHL thrilled to host 2019 Tim Hortons Heritage Classic in Regina

REGINA, SK - There is no place like home. But a Winnipeg sports team calling Saskatchewan's football palace 'home' for a few days next October, that just sounds absurd.
But if you ask Winnipeg Jets executive chairman, Mark Chipman, what he thinks of the digs - he is more than excited to move in.
"I think it's spectacular, I really do," said Chipman Friday morning in Regina at Mosaic Stadium, the site of the 2019 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic.

"This is the first time for me in Mosaic (Stadium) and I heard it was great facility. It just has a great feel. It's going to feel like a football game on ice in some respects."

The NHL in conjunction with the Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames and NHLPA along with local officials, shared their excitement for the spectacle between two great Canadian franchises on October 26, 2019.
"These games are real games. These games there is a lot of pageantry, but they're real games and I think it's really smart to have teams that are accustomed to playing one another so it ought to be a great game," said Chipman.
October's game between the Flames and Jets will be the fifth Heritage Classic and second outdoor affair for both clubs. While this game is nothing new for the NHL, the 2019 rendition will be the first neutral site host.
"It's something we've actually been considering for a number of years and Regina has always been on the top of the list for neutral sites," said NHL deputy commissioner, Bill Daly.
"Part of (playing in Saskatchewan) has to do with the history of hockey here and how popular it is here. Having the ability to bring two teams who are almost equidistant from this city to a neutral site was also attractive to us."

For the second time in three seasons, Winnipeg will take their talents outdoors. This time the Jets will look to improve their record in fresh air after falling 3-0 to the Edmonton Oilers at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg in 2016. Chipman said he was surprised to be asked to take part in another Heritage Classic so soon.
"It's a sort of sense of honour. These are big events and we're still relatively new to the league - this is our eighth season - so to get a chance to play in two in such a short period of time is really an honor," said Chipman.
Opening its doors in 2017, Mosaic Stadium at Evraz Place is home to the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders. As one of the league's premier facilities with seating for over 30,000 people, the stadium is a natural fit to host big events like a Heritage Classic.
"The quality of this facility is really second to none in Canada. What we found with our outdoor games in particular the Heritage Classic - often it's difficult to find an appropriate facility to bring it to. This one met all the criteria for sure," said Daly.
"I think it's brilliant to play it here. As everybody said, there is such a deep history and heritage of hockey in this province," added Chipman.
"I think this is going to be very successful and I wouldn't be surprised to see the league to do more of these as a result."
Tickets for the 2019 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic go on sale on April 25th, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. CST via Ticketmaster.