The 2026 Heritage Classic (branded as the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic for sponsorship reasons) will be an outdoor regular season National Hockey League (NHL) game. The game, the eighth Heritage Classic, will be between the Winnipeg Jets and the Montreal Canadiens.[1]
Background
The 2026 Heritage classic was first leaked by the NHL listing the information on its website without any prior announcement on December 4th 2025. It was taken down roughly half an hour after appearing.[2][3] Two days later on December 6th it was formally announced that Winnipeg would be hosting the Eighth Heritage Classic.[4]
This will be Winnipeg's second time hosting the Heritage Classic, having previously hosted in 2016 against the Edmonton Oilers.[5] For the Jets this will be their third appearance, as they also played against the Calgary Flames in 2019 at a neutral site in Saskatchewan.
This is the third time the Canadiens will play in the Heritage Classic, also having played against the Oilers and Flames in 2003 and 2011 respectively. They have appeared in two other outdoor games, the 2016 Winter Classic hosted by the Boston Bruins and the NHL 100 Classic for the NHL's centennial hosted by the Ottawa Senators in 2017.[6]
The NHL also announced an Alumni game on January 20th 2026 taking place one day before the event on October 24th.[7]
References
- ↑ "2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic". www.nhl.ca. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
- ↑ "NHL Accidentally Leaks Canadiens vs. Jets Heritage Classic Game". Sports Illustrated. 2025-12-04.
- ↑ "NHL Heritage Classic in Winnipeg leaks early". Sports Business Journal. 2025-12-05.
- ↑ "Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic™ returns to Winnipeg in October 2026". True North Sports + Entertainment. 2025-12-06.
- ↑ "NHL Heritage Classic's 2026 return to Winnipeg will be 'great for the city,' fans say". CBC. 2025-12-08.
- ↑ "NHL Heritage Classic tickets go on sale March 24". NHL. 2026-03-17.
- ↑ "Canadiens and Jets alumni to face off in Winnipeg". NHL. 2026-01-20.
