September 7, 2023 by Eric Friesen

The inaugural Heritage Classic between the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens in November of 2003 represented hockey in its simplest and purist form. The event gave some of the best players in the the world the chance to reconnect with their roots of skating on frozen ponds, or backyard rinks as children.

It was a spectacle unlike anything the NHL ever done before, and one of the most memorable games in Oilers history. Now, 20 years later, Oilers superstar Connor McDavid is looking forward to creating memories for a new generation of players and fans at the 2023 Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium.

“Picturing this place full of Edmonton and Calgary fans going crazy, that’s what us hockey guys get excited about,” McDavid said in his media availability on Wednesday. “I’ve got lots of family coming in. I’m looking forward to the family skate before. Those are memories that I’ll have for a lifetime, and I’m just excited for the whole weekend. It’ll be fun. To be here at Commonwealth in Edmonton, the 20th anniversary of the original outdoor game, I’m super excited to be a part of it. Obviously, the Edmonton-Calgary rivalry is special and to play on this field and on this rink in this big venue, it’s going to be very fun. Thankfully, playing in October, it’ll be a little bit warmer, I hope. You never know with Edmonton weather.”

This will be McDavid’s second outdoor game, as he played in the 2016 Heritage Classic, where the Oilers pulled out a 3-0 win over the host Winnipeg Jets at IG Field. McDavid picked up an assist in the game, feeding Darnell Nurse for a one-timer on a two-on-one rush in the second period. While it was a great experience for him, McDavid believes that playing in the first-ever outdoor Battle of Alberta will make this year’s Heritage Classic more special.

“The game was over a little bit. I ended up taking a penalty with three or four minutes left and I remember sitting in the penalty box,” McDavid said. “We were up by a couple, so it didn’t really matter. But I remember looking around just being like, ‘This is sweet.’ It was sick. I really enjoyed it. The fans get into it. It just feels like you’re a kid again playing outside. I know that’s cliché, but it’s true, and playing hockey outdoors is as Canadian as it gets. To do it here in Edmonton against the Flames will be even better.”

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Like many kids across Canada, McDavid and his older brother Cam grew up playing on their backyard rink in Newmarket, Ontario. Even after playing under the bright lights of the NHL for the past eight years, McDavid still speaks fondly of playing shinny with friends for the pure joy of it.

“My dad put together an outdoor rink for us in the backyard,” McDavid said. “As we got a little bit older, it became a deck and a hot tub or an outdoor rink, and my dad opted for the deck and the hot tub, so he put an end to that. But we still had a few good winters with the outdoor rink and have great memories of that. My brother and I would walk after school to the pond close by and shovel it off and play with buddies and stuff like that, so lots of great memories on the outdoor rinks.”

The 2023 Heritage Classic will surely be the most important Battle of Alberta since the 2022 playoffs, where the Oilers eliminated the Flames in five games in their second round series. McDavid expects that playing the rival Flames early in the season will help the Oilers gel quickly, as they look to end their 34-year championship drought in 2023-24.

“I think it’s a good time for our group to kind of come together,” McDavid said. “It’s early in the year. It’s a big game. It always is. Every time Edmonton plays Calgary, a lot of family will be in town. I think the NHL does a good job of kind of scheduling a little bit of a break leading up and then a break afterwards to be able to get the families involved, which is always a nice thing. I think it’s a game that can really bring our team together.”