WINNIPEG — Organizers of the original Heritage Classic shoe-horned the alumni game and a regular-season NHL tilt between the Canadiens and Oilers into one long, cold and memorable day at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium in 2003. “We were scared to death that we couldn’t sell the other game,” said Oilers Entertainment Group vice-chair Kevin Lowe, who was then the team’s GM. They had a winning record at the time, 10-7-2, and had made the playoffs the previous spring. “That’s the Connor McDavid factor,” said Craig MacTavish, who scored a goal for the Oilers alumni in their 6-5 loss to the Jets’ old-timers. Sunday’s game will take its place in franchise history, too, and the current Oilers are excited about that.

Source: National Post October 23, 2016 16:41 UTC