The Battle of Alberta is set to head outdoors for the first time as the historic rivals clash Sunday at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton for the 2023 Heritage Classic.
Both teams enter the game reeling, with the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames sputtering out of the gate to begin their respective seasons. The Oilers, who seem likely to be without superstar Connor McDavid after suffering an upper-body injury last Saturday, sit near the basement of the Pacific Division with a 1-4-1 record.
Calgary, meanwhile, once again finds itself struggling to score — and get saves They’ll look to get back on track amidst a 2-4-1 start, which includes a minus-9 goal differential that ranks bottom-five in the league.
Both teams will be looking to grab some momentum from the showdown under the lights as the NHL celebrates the 20th anniversary of the first-ever Heritage Classic between the Oilers and Montreal Canadiens.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the big clash:
Where to watch the 2023 NHL Heritage Classic
Date: Sunday, Oct. 29
Game: Edmonton Oilers vs. Calgary Flames
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. MT
TV Channel: Sportsnet
Streaming: Sportsnet+
Stream on Sportsnet+
What are the expected lines for Edmonton, Calgary at 2023 Heritage Classic?
Neither club has provided much insight into who they’ll be lining up, with the most notable storyline to follow being the health of McDavid. The Oilers haven’t ruled out their star for the game yet, instead listing him as questionable. Given his initial 1-2 week timetable, it appears unlikely he’ll be able to play through his upper-body injury, but we’ll see.
The Flames, meanwhile, have continued to shuffle their lines throughout the early part of the season while trying to find the right mix. Recently, spurred by the early struggles of Nazem Kadri, head coach Ryan Huska has moved the pivot down to the third line, as the former Stanley Cup winner continues to find his footing to start his second year in Calgary.
Oilers:
Kane-Draisaitl-Janmark
Foegele-RNH-Hyman
Holloway-McLeod-Brown
Erne-Ryan
Nurse-Ceci
Ekholm-Bouchard
Kulak-Broberg
Desharnais
Campbell
Skinner
Flames:
Huberdeau-Lindholm-Sharangovich
Mangiapane-Backlund-Coleman
Ruzicka-Kadri-Duehr
Hunt-Dube-Coronato
Hanifin-Weegar
Gilbert-Tanev
Zadorov-Oesterle
Markstrom
Vladar
What makes this Heritage Classic notable?
This year’s contest marks the 20th anniversary of the first Heritage Classic between the Oilers and Canadiens. Hosted on November 22, 2003, also at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, the Canadiens won 4-3 in a back-and-forth tilt.
The Heritage Classic marked the NHL’s first foray into outdoor games, and served as the basis for the league’s further expansion into other marquee events like the Winter Classic and Stadium Series later in the decade.
Sunday’s game will also be the third outdoor game in Oilers history, with their most recent trip outside coming on the road in 2016 against the Winnipeg Jets. The 2023 event also marks the third outdoor game in Flames history, having previously played in the 2011 and 2019 Heritage Classics, both of which took place in Regina, Saskatchewan.
