NHL announces Hamilton will host Heritage Classic between Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres at Tim Hortons Field

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Published September 16, 2021 at 11:52 am

The NHL's Heritage Classic will mark the second major event at Tim Hortons Field in a three-month span. The 108th Grey Cup is being hosted by Hamilton on Dec. 12, 2021.

Hockey fans south of Toronto and west of Buffalo have been waiting more than three decades to read this: The National Hockey League is coming to Hamilton.

No, the city won’t be getting its long-awaited NHL team, but the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres will take the yet-to-be-installed ice at Tim Hortons Field. The home of the Canadian Football League’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Forge FC of the Canadian Premier League will host the 2022 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic on Mar. 13, 2022.

The Sabres will be the designated home team despite a predictably sizable pro-Leafs crowd taking over the stadium that’s expandable to 40,000 seats.

Puck drop is scheduled for 3 p.m. and the game will air live on Sportsnet in Canada and TNT in the United States.

The event is being run by the NHL and no information was provided in regards to ticket sales and distribution at the time of publication.

“We are excited to announce that we will be presenting another Tim Hortons Heritage Classic this season,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said.

“When the Toronto Maple Leafs meet the Buffalo Sabres at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, we again will honour Canada’s preeminent role in the history of our game while renewing a great and longstanding NHL rivalry. In addition, by inviting the first U.S.-based team to a Heritage Classic, we will celebrate the greater Golden Horseshoe region as the home of so many fans of both the Leafs and Sabres.”

Tim Hortons Field is situated approximately one hour from both Scotiabank Arena in Toronto and KeyBank Center in Buffalo — the home arenas for both clubs.

“The Toronto Maple Leafs are proud to participate in the 2022 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic,” said Maple Leafs President and Alternate Governor Brendan Shanahan. “We’re excited at the opportunity to play outdoors again and to bring this great divisional rivalry outside in front of our two devoted fanbases in Hamilton.”.

Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reported in late-August that the game was in the works. He noted that the two teams were scheduled to play a matinee on Mar. 13 in Buffalo, but the game was notably absent from the Sabres’ two half-season ticket options.

“I am thrilled Tim Hortons Field has been selected as the venue for the 2022 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic. Hamilton is a big sports town, and Hamilton hockey fans are going to be over the moon with excitement to see NHL hockey played outdoors in the Hammer,” said Mayor of Hamilton, Fred Eisenberger.

“Home to local breweries, a dynamic hospitality industry and a vibrant downtown core with shops and amenities, I look forward to welcoming fans from all over and invite them to explore all that Hamilton has to offer.”

The NHL Heritage Classic returns to the NHL regular-season schedule after games in 2019 in Regina, 2016 in Winnipeg, 2014 in Vancouver, 2011 in Calgary, and 2003 in Edmonton.

This year’s matchup will mark the sixth Heritage Classic — a game with roots dating back to Nov. 22, 2003, when the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Montreal Canadiens in the first NHL regular-season outdoor games.

The Maple Leafs-Sabres matchup in March will be the 35th outdoor game for the NHL, and the third scheduled for the upcoming season along with the 2022 Winter Classic (Jan. 1, St. Louis at Minnesota) and the 2022 Stadium Series (Feb. 26, Tampa Bay at Nashville).

The Maple Leafs will be playing in their fourth NHL regular-season outdoor game. Toronto defeated the Detroit Red Wings at Michigan Stadium at the 2014 Winter Classic by a score of 3-2 (SO) in front of a record attendance of 105,491. Toronto also won a rematch versus the Red Wings by a score of 5-4 (OT) at the 2017 NHL Centennial Classic at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto attended by 40,148 fans. Toronto’s most recent NHL outdoor contest was at the 2018 Stadium Series at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, a 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals in front of 29,516 fans.

“It’s an honor to play in the Heritage Classic game. It will be an incredible atmosphere and we are thrilled to be able to play the Maple Leafs in this special event. Many of us fell in love with hockey while playing on the pond or in backyards, so this will give us a chance to get back to our roots while celebrating the game of hockey.” Kevyn Adams, General Manager, Buffalo Sabres.

The Sabres will be making their third appearance in an NHL regular-season outdoor game. Buffalo hosted the first-ever Winter Classic against the Pittsburgh Penguins, a 2-1 shootout loss in front of 71,217 fans at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Jan. 1, 2008, and the 2018 Winter Classic, a 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Rangers in front of 41,821 fans at Citi Field.

“Hockey is an integral part of the Tims brand, which of course was founded by NHL legend Tim Horton in Hamilton in 1964,” said Hope Baggozi, Chief Marketing Officer, Tim Hortons.

“We’re proud of our hockey heritage and so excited for another Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic™, this time at Tim Hortons Field, just down the road from the original Tim Hortons restaurant on Ottawa street. It’s so perfect that the 2022 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic™ features two teams that Tim Horton played for, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Buffalo Sabres, and we know it’s going to be an amazing event.”

NHL Network and NHL.com will provide extensive coverage live from the event leading up to and after the game, according to the league.

The Heritage Classic will mark the second major event at Tim Hortons Field in a three-month span. The 108th Grey Cup is being hosted by Hamilton on Dec. 12, 2021.

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