Puck set to drop on Heritage Classic festivities

It’s the ultimate Manitoba mash-up: Cottage country meets hockey heaven.

And it will be the central theme for the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic, which features the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens facing off Sunday evening at Princess Auto Stadium.

“We’re really excited about this one. It pops. It looks amazing. We think this is one of our better-looking field designs,” Steve Mayer, the president of NHL content and events, told reporters this week as preparation of the outdoor rink and related components reached a fever pitch.

“We want people to walk in the stadium and go, ‘Wow.’”

Mayer said organizers spent nearly a year working on the design, which included “more versions, for some reason, than almost any of the outdoor games we’ve ever done.”

The idea was to simulate a cozy cabin — no small feat inside a nearly 33,000-seat stadium.

“We just felt this was a place we hadn’t gone before,” said Mayer. “When we do these outdoor games in Canada, we try to bring as much of Canada into the fold.”

Among the highlights visitors and viewers at home can expect to see: oversized rustic timber logs that create the appearance of a cabin wall with various items that would be hanging from it including vintage team memorabilia displays, framed jerseys, crossed wooden hockey sticks adorned with antlers, and decorative plaques.

There is also a massive stone fireplace stretching across the front of the field and giant decorative hockey skates representing both teams.

“We’ll have people sitting around the fire,” said Mayer.

Bonus points if they have s’mores on a (hockey?) stick.

The NHL game — the first of its kind in Winnipeg since 2016 — will be the culmination of a busy weekend, one that honours both the past and the present of the two Canadian clubs.

“I think the pressure was on the second we announced we were coming back,” Mayer said of trying to think bigger and better than that game a decade ago featuring the Jets and Edmonton Oilers.

“This is an avid fan base and they love their Jets. We were challenged to do something that feels completely different than the last time we were here.”

Here’s a breakdown of what else you can expect:

Gala dinner

Sportscaster Ron MacLean will host the annual fundraiser for the True North Youth Foundation, which is being held Friday evening inside the RBC Convention Centre.

Current and former Jets players will be in attendance. The event includes interview sessions, a silent auction and a live band and dance.

More information is available at truenorthyouthfoundation.com/events

Fan fest

Normally held during training camp at the Hockey For All Centre, the Jets called a timeout this year to tie it into these festivities.

It will take place Saturday, from noon to 8:30 p.m., inside the RBC Convention Centre, and feature Jets 1.0 and 2.0 alumni, cultural performances, prizes, and merchandise. Fans can also stay for the Alumni Game watch party beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Free tickets are available at winnipegjets.com/fanfest

Alumni game

Otherwise known as “Welcome back, Dustin Byfuglien.”

OK, he’s not the only former player who will be dusting off his skates for one last twirl at the downtown rink, but “Big Buff” will definitely be among the highlights on Saturday evening.

Byfuglien joins the likes of Blake Wheeler, Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little, Toby Enstrom, Mathieu Perreault, the “GST” line and more as they take on some Montreal Canadiens alumni including Mike Keane, Mike Cammalleri, Mathieu Dandenault, Patrice Brisebois and Andrei Markov.

Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m. at Canada Life Centre.

The Trews will perform during the pre-game and intermission, while The Dirty Catfish Brass Band will provide concourse entertainment along with local DJs.

Scotiabank NHL pregame

It’s the party before puck drop, running from noon to 5:30 p.m. at the University of Manitoba’s U Lot.

The outdoor festival is open to anyone with a ticket for the Heritage Classic and features interactive displays including trying to score a goal on an NHL mascot, doing a virtual walk on any sheet of NHL ice and posing for a championship team photo which lands you a magazine cover.

There will also be player appearances, giveaways, games and contests and a photo opportunity with the Stanley Cup.

Flatland Famous performs on the music stage, while more than 20 of the NHL’s official partners and licencees will have display booths set up.

Note to visitors: All fans will be required to go through metal detectors, and no bags or coolers are permitted with the exception of one small clutch bag per person.

You can find more information here.

Heritage game

Last, and certainly not least.

Winnipeg and Montreal will hold outdoor practice on Saturday afternoon — they aren’t open to the public — and then hit the ice to battle for two points at 6 p.m. on Sunday.

There will be plenty of pomp and circumstance.

SoulBear will sing O Canada and Jordan Sangalang will be the Canadian anthem American Sign Language performer. The Canadian flag will be unfurled by members of 17 Wing Winnipeg, 38 Canadian Brigade Group, and HMCS Chippawa.

A ceremonial puck drop featuring Byfuglien, Wheeler and Ladd will bring a blast from the past before the likes of Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor do battle with Lane Hutson, Cole Caufield and company.

While the big boys are playing on the main rink, youth players in the Timbits Under-7 program will be skating on an auxiliary rink inside the stadium.

There will be live entertainment during the intermissions featuring four different musical acts which have yet to be announced.

The Jets alumni team will be honoured during the second intermission as part of a special tribute celebrating 15 years of the 2.0 Jets.

Mother Nature appears ready to lend a big assist, too. Sunday’s forecast is for a high of six degrees Celsius, with an overnight low of -3 C. Unlike a decade ago, there won’t be a “sun delay” as puck drop has been pushed from mid-afternoon to early evening.

Winnipeg lost 3-0 to Edmonton in that 2016 game, then skated to a 2-1 overtime victory over Calgary at the 2019 Heritage Classic which was held at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

winnipegfreepress.com/mikemcintyre