Rumor has it!

bigboydan · 07-11-07, 08:56 PM

I heard about this one mike. They do this either last year or the year before in Calgary I believe. Also, I believe there is a college rivalry that plays outdoors every year.

Mudcat · 07-11-07, 09:35 PM

The previous time was at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton actually. It was called the Heritage Classic and it was more like 4 years ago, I would say. There were about 60K in attendance.

It was a big event (in Canada anyway). There was an old-timers game before the real game. Wayne Gretzky (who, in case anyone has any doubt, is a national hero of the highest order) returned to Edmonton where he won all his cups. He said it would be the only old-timers game he would ever play in. As far as I know he has stuck by that.

And, yes, it was modeled after a Michigan/ Michigan State rivalry game that was played outdoors a few years before. I'm not sure if they have done it in college since then.

Having this Buffalo event on New Year's Day seems stupid to me. Hopefully for the organizers there are 80,000 people who would rather sit outside in the middle of a Buffalo winter for a regular season hockey game than watch Bowl Games in their nice, toasty living rooms.

We'll see.

ironmike67 · 07-12-07, 03:04 PM

Who won the game in Calgary!

ironmike67 · 07-12-07, 03:05 PM

I think that a game on New Years Day would be insane... Because It has always been a day for sports games!

JBrown1045 · 07-12-07, 03:43 PM

Originally posted by Mudcat

The previous time was at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton actually. It was called the Heritage Classic and it was more like 4 years ago, I would say. There were about 60K in attendance.

It was a big event (in Canada anyway). There was an old-timers game before the real game. Wayne Gretzky (who, in case anyone has any doubt, is a national hero of the highest order) returned to Edmonton where he won all his cups. He said it would be the only old-timers game he would ever play in. As far as I know he has stuck by that.

And, yes, it was modeled after a Michigan/ Michigan State rivalry game that was played outdoors a few years before. I'm not sure if they have done it in college since then.

Having this Buffalo event on New Year's Day seems stupid to me. Hopefully for the organizers there are 80,000 people who would rather sit outside in the middle of a Buffalo winter for a regular season hockey game than watch Bowl Games in their nice, toasty living rooms.

We'll see.

Didn't the University of Wisconsin just a year ago or so play an outdoor game? I remember watching highlights on ESPN.

Mudcat · 07-12-07, 03:52 PM

Originally posted by ironmike67

Who won the game in Calgary!

Again, it was in Edmonton. The Oilers won the old-timers game which was played first (I even remember the score: 2-0) but Montreal won the regular league game.

As for the U of Wisconsin question, I'm afraid I don't know.