When the clock hit 0:00 on a Montreal Canadiens' 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers in November 2003, there wasn't a guarantee we would see another outdoor NHL game.
Fast forward 20 years, and more than 30 regular-season games have been played outdoors in NHL history. On Sunday night, the 38th outdoor game and second one at Commonwealth Stadium capped off a weekend with the Oilers defeating the Calgary Flames 5-2. Not only was it a chance to recall that brisk night in 2003
It seems odd that it took this long for the NHL to make the Battle of Alberta happen in an outdoor setting. Both the Oilers and the Flames took part in multiple outdoor games, but each Alberta squad squared off against the Winnipeg Jets and Canadiens.
Taking the game outside seemed like one of the final frontiers for where the rivalry could go. From the heated regular-season and playoff battles, it seemed like a foregone conclusion we'd eventually see these teams in this setting. Even before 2023, the hockey world almost had this reality.
Before Commonwealth Stadium became the venue, there was much talk about the 2020-21 season beginning with these two teams squaring off at Lake Louise, Alta., before the idea was shot down due to logistical concerns.
For Ales Hemsky, who played in the original Heritage Classic for the Oilers, there was a bit of humor in realizing how long ago Edmonton and Montreal made NHL history with the first regular-season outdoor game.
"I can't believe it's 20 years – it's showing I'm getting older," Hemsky said.
With Hemsky in Edmonton for the Heritage Classic and to see Doug Weight and Charlie Huddy's inductions into the Oilers Hall of Fame this past week, he remembered how the weather wasn't the best 20 years ago. However, he praised how the fans still showed up and predicted they would for the first outdoor Battle of Alberta.
"The first one was amazing – it was a lot of people in the stands," Hemsky said. "I remember it was really cold – that wasn't enjoyable, but they're supposed to have a nice event at this time."
Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster Craig Simpson was on the Oilers bench as an assistant coach in 2003. He also recalled the weather and turning back the clock in the "MegaStars game" with Oilers and Canadiens alumni.
"The weather made it iconic, and it lives on in infamy because of it, but truly, it was fun to get the alumni game together and see all the guys," Simpson said.
Having another match at the 45-year-old stadium felt like a nice way to circle back, Simpson said.
"To watch the team outdoors at Commonwealth, it's a special reminder of where it all began," he added.
The heritage theme also went beyond just a game at Commonwealth Stadium.
Those around Rogers Place in Edmonton weren't only within an arm's distance of numerous Oilers and Flames alumni – along with Canadiens alumni to honor the 2003 game – but they also got to see how the game of hockey has evolved and continues to change.
At the NHL Fan Park, the United By Hockey Mobile Museum returned, showcasing players, coaches and media members from diverse backgrounds who've made an impact in the sport and are continuing to do so.
The weekend also saw the NHL's first Black player continue to make history.
On Saturday at the JW Marriott hotel in Edmonton, Canada Post unveiled a stamp in honor of Willie O'Ree, celebrating his career and his contributions to hockey for six decades. He became the first Black NHLer to be honored in Canadian postage.
While O'Ree was unable to attend the event this weekend, it saw numerous Black hockey voices and NHLers of color in attendance at the unveiling, including Nazem Kadri, Evander Kane, Grant Fuhr, Anson Carter, Georges Laraque and Team Canada member and PWHL Toronto's Sarah Nurse.
For Laraque, being a part of this event along with other Black players was showing thanks for what O'Ree does and how he helped make it possible for them to have careers in the sport.
"Everybody recognized that without him, we don't have a career," Laraque said. "Think about it – when Willie broke into the NHL, death threats, all the stuff he had to go through. If he quits and he doesn't make it, how many more years do we have to wait until there's another Black guy that breaks the barrier?
"When you push that a couple more years, Grant Fuhr was close to that, maybe he doesn't play. If you push 10 more years, then it means maybe the next up-and-coming guys may not be there. You always need the first to break it to show, 'Oh, they can play the game,' and then it follows through. Everybody (who) is here today recognizes his contributions."
NHL on TNT analyst Anson Carter served as the emcee for the event. Not only was it significant to see people who looked like him at the event, but he said it was very important to have names from the entire hockey world partake to honor O'Ree.
"It's not only important the impact that he's had on us, but it was so important that you had Ron McLean, a voice of hockey for years, in the building; you also had Stanley Cup champion Andrew Ference, Glenn Anderson," Carter said. "It was important enough for them to come here and be a part of it, too, and that to me is the biggest message I want to tell people. Yes, he's an inspiration to people like myself, but to everyone when it comes to hockey, he's a massive inspiration to us all."
As the Heritage Classic weekend commemorated the history of the event and one of hockey's most significant people, Sunday's game saw the Oilers call their losing streak history and keep Calgary's skid in the present. But it wasn't without suspense in the days and hours before puck drop.
The biggest question mark for everyone in the days before the opening faceoff was whether Connor McDavid would return from an upper-body injury. Many of those questions were answered as McDavid took the full practice, and by game day, it was clear he would be in the lineup.
"He's a warrior, he's incredible," McDavid's teammate, Dylan Holloway, said post-game. "I don't think it gets talked about enough how hard he works and how tough he is, too. That was huge for him to come back. It was massive for us as a team to have him back, and it was a great win for us."
In front of a sellout crowd of 55,411 attendees, McDavid recorded an assist in his return as the Oilers' top six forwards all had big nights. Defensemen Brett Kulak and Evan Bouchard also scored, and Vincent Desharnais got his first career NHL goal.
While the Flames fell to 2-6-1 and 31st in the NHL, the Oilers climbed up one spot to 30th with their second win of the season. Even with that ghastly start, Edmonton had a much more complete effort for a full 60 minutes, something coach Jay Woodcroft said this team needed.
"It was important for our team's psyche to put a tick in the win column, but probably more important was how we played," Woodcroft said. "Forget the result; the result is important, (and) we know we're not taking any moral victories, but how we played tonight resembled who we are.
"That resembled the team that has put up a century spot over the last two years in the regular season. That resembled the team that has played in five playoff rounds over the last two years. That's important because that's something to build on."
So, what history might we see in the future?
While ticket sales needed a boost before game time, and there were valid questions on whether the allure of outdoor NHL games is still there, there's still a level of interest from fans, the league and players to keep these types of games going. But how will the future of the Heritage Classic and other outdoor games look?
Suppose the NHL takes these games to unique markets and continues using the entire weekend to educate fans from all levels on the game's past and present. In that case, there is still so much to keep alive from something that spawned as a quirky idea two decades ago.
