NHL inspired by ‘cabin cottage culture’ for Heritage Classic field design

WINNIPEG -- A rustic cabin in the woods is where fans will be visually transported for the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic, with the latest edition of the outdoor game bringing a special nostalgic charm to the event as it returns to Winnipeg on Oct. 25.

The National Hockey League is converting Princess Auto Stadium “into a larger-than-life Canadian cabin retreat,” with the sleek outdoor ice surface contrasted with a dramatic stone fireplace, warm lighting, oversized rustic timber logs and hockey elements, creating the aesthetic of a rustic hockey-themed cabin. 

“The cabin cottage culture is a part of Canada,” NHL President of Content & Events Steve Mayer said. “We just felt it's a place that we hadn't gone before… When we do these outdoor games in Canada, ‘Heritage Classic,’ we really lean into the history, and we try to bring as much of Canada into the fold.”

The Winnipeg Jets will face off against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday in the first Heritage Classic since 2023. Winnipeg, nestled in the heart of “cottage country” on the Canadian Prairies, and Montreal, located amongst the rich forest and mountain “chalets” across the province of Quebec, are two distinct Canadian geographies that have shaped the cultures of each region. These rural areas, too, are where many Canadians still play hockey recreationally on outdoor ice.

“We felt (this) was part of the heritage part of the Canadian landscape,” Mayer said. “This is a little about Manitoba, Winnipeg, Quebec, Canada, and the history of the Jets as well.”

The NHL is returning to Winnipeg for an outdoor game for the first time since the 2016 Heritage Classic.

“In Winnipeg, I think the pressure was on the second we announced that we're coming back,” Mayer said. “This was the first place where we covered the entire field in a graphic in the 2016 game. And now we've advanced from graphics to — we built, essentially, a set. It's got a lot of dimension. We take advantage of the high walls (and) we actually get way more creative now than we did back then… We realized it's the crowd that's here that we have to blow away. We want people to walk in the stadium and go, ‘Wow.’”

Mayer is hoping fans beyond the 32,343 in attendance will also be impressed when the puck drops on Sunday evening.

“We're really excited about this one. It pops,” Mayer said. “It looks amazing from a television standpoint when the game airs on Sunday. We think this one is going to be one of our better looking field designs, and we're really excited to be here in Winnipeg.”

The League says the design features iconic hockey and cabin-themed elements that celebrate the rivalry between the Canadiens and Jets, with oversized pennants, vintage-style memorabilia, and wooden hockey sticks adorned with antlers to convey the feel of a curated hockey lodge.

The visual anchor of the overall design is a dramatic stone fireplace stretching across the front of the field, complete with a glowing fire delivering a nostalgic, winter-cabin atmosphere.

“We create with that in mind because we want to have a huge television audience as well as a sellout here,” Mayer said. “We've been working on the field design for close to a year. I would also say, uniquely, there have been more versions, for some reason, of this particular field design than almost any of the outdoor games we've ever done. The team that works on this is just very meticulous.”