The 2019 NHL Heritage Classic (branded as the 2019 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic for sponsorship reasons) was an outdoor regular season National Hockey League (NHL) game. The game, the fifth Heritage Classic, was held on October 26, 2019. The Winnipeg Jets defeated the Calgary Flames, 2–1, at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan—the home field of the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders.
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| Date | October 26, 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Venue | Mosaic Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| City | Regina, Saskatchewan | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 33,518 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Background
editThis was the first NHL regular season outdoor game that was held in a neutral site territory that is not formally part of an NHL market, the first regular season game held in Regina, and the first regular season game held in Saskatchewan since 1994. Notably however it was not the first major professional regular season hockey game in the Queen City since historically, Regina had been the home of the defunct Western Canada Hockey League's Regina Capitals, who moved to Portland, Oregon in 1925. Regina is located roughly half-way between Calgary and Winnipeg.[1][2] The Jets were designated as the home team.[3][4] This was also the second outdoor game for each team; the Flames and Jets respectively hosted the 2011 and 2016 Heritage Classic games at their cities' respective CFL stadiums.[5]
To accommodate the game, the CFL scheduled a three week road trip for the Riders near the end of the 2019 CFL season. Saskatchewan played its penultimate home game on October 5, followed by three road games while its stadium was converted to an outdoor hockey rink and back again. The Riders returned to Mosaic Stadium on November 2 for their final 2019 regular season game.
Game summary
editBryan Little scored at 3:04 of overtime to give the Jets the 2–1 win. The Flames' Elias Lindholm opened the scoring on a power play at 14:47 of the second period. Winnipeg's Josh Morrissey then tied the game on a power play at 15:49 of the third period.[6]
At 19:58 of the second period, the Jets' Adam Lowry was given a minor penalty for boarding the Flames' Oliver Kylington. The league later gave Lowry a two-game suspension as a repeat offender.[7]
| Scoring summary | ||||||
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| Period | Team | Goal | Assist(s) | Time | Score | |
| 1st | No scoring | |||||
| 2nd | CGY | Elias Lindholm (7) – pp | Johnny Gaudreau (7), Sean Monahan (6) | 14:47 | 1–0 CGY | |
| 3rd | WPG | Josh Morrissey (1) – pp | Patrik Laine (10), Mark Scheifele (9) | 15:49 | 1–1 TIE | |
| OT | WPG | Bryan Little (1) | Kyle Connor (2), Neal Pionk (6) | 3:04 | 2–1 WPG | |
- Number in parentheses represents the player's total in goals or assists to that point of the season
| Penalty summary | |||||
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| Period | Team | Player | Penalty | Time | PIM |
| 1st | CGY | Sean Monahan | Delay of Game (puck over glass) | 08:48 | 2:00 |
| 2nd | CGY | T. J. Brodie | Tripping | 05:52 | 2:00 |
| CGY | Sam Bennett | Goalkeeper interference | 10:10 | 2:00 | |
| WPG | Andrew Copp | Hooking | 13:09 | 2:00 | |
| WPG | Team (served by Mathieu Perreault) | Delay of Game (unsuccessful coach challenge) | 14:47 | 2:00 | |
| WPG | Adam Lowry | Boarding | 20:00 | 2:00 | |
| 3rd | CGY | Mark Giordano | Hooking | 14:50 | 2:00 |
| OT | CGY | Sean Monahan | Tripping | 00:39 | 2:00 |
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| Three star selections | |||
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| Team | Player | Statistics | |
| 1st | WPG | Bryan Little | 1 goal |
| 2nd | CGY | David Rittich | 43 saves |
| 3rd | WPG | Josh Morrissey | 1 goal |
Team rosters
edit
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- Scratches – Did not play
Calgary Flames: Michael Stone, Mark Jankowski
Winnipeg Jets: Luca Sbisa, Ville Heinola, Mason Appleton
Officials
Referee: Brad Meier, Graham Skilliter
Linesmen: Kiel Murchison, Trent Knorr
Entertainment
editThe Hunter Brothers sang the national anthem, The Sheepdogs performed during the first intermission, and Jess Moskaluke sang during the second intermission.[8]
Television
editThis game aired as the late 10 p.m. EDT (8 p.m. local time) game on Hockey Night in Canada.[9] In the U.S., NBCSN simulcast the HNIC feed; it was the second game of a rare Saturday night doubleheader on NBCSN that followed a 2019 Stanley Cup Finals rematch between the St. Louis Blues and the Boston Bruins.[10] This would be the last Heritage Classic that NBCSN would air, as NBC later lost the NHL media rights to ESPN/ABC and TNT Sports before the 2021-22 season. TNT picked up the Heritage Classic as part of their package.
Festivities
editThe Western Hockey League's Regina Pats (who play at nearby Brandt Centre) hosted a "Prairie Classic" outdoor game against the Calgary Hitmen on October 27.[11] Calgary won the game 5-4 in overtime.
References
edit- ^ Campbell, Tim (March 15, 2019). "Jets, Flames excited to play Heritage Classic in Regina". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
- ^ "Tickets to go on sale for Heritage Classic on April 25". CTV News Regina. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ "Winnipeg Jets October 2019 Schedule". nhl.com. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- ^ "Calgary Flames October 2019 Schedule". nhl.com. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- ^ "Bettman announces that Regina will host 2019 Heritage Classic". Regina Leader-Post. January 1, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
- ^ "Jets defeat Flames in Jeritage Classic on Little OT goal". NHL.com. October 26, 2019.
- ^ "Lowry suspended two games for actions in Jets game against Flames". NHL.com. October 28, 2019.
- ^ "Heritage Classic entertainment announced" (Press release). NHL.com. October 10, 2019.
- ^ "NHL 2019-20 season: Hockey Night in Canada schedule". Sportsnet. June 25, 2019.
- ^ "NBC Sports to Air 109 NHL Games During the 2019–20 Regular Season" (Press release). NBC Sports. August 6, 2019.
- ^ "Pats reveal Prairie Classic jerseys, other details on outdoor game". CTV News Regina. Retrieved October 23, 2019.