The NHL has begun preparations to get Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg ready for the 2026 Heritage Classic, with a crew of nearly 150 people “working long hours” on the project, according to Mike McIntyre of the WINNIPEG FREE PRESS. The game between the Canadiens and Jets will be held Oct. 25. NHL VP/Hockey Operations and Facilities Operations Derek King said, “There’s always something that comes along that can surprise us.” McIntyre noted the 2016 Heritage Classic, at the home of the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers, “endured a lengthy delay due to the bright afternoon sun.” There will be “no such issues this time around,” with puck drop now happening just after 6pm CT. King said, “That was by design. We know we’re not going to beat Mother Nature.” The league’s “massive mobile refrigeration unit” left Oakville, Ont., this past weekend and arrived at the stadium on Tuesday. The piping, which runs under the ice surface, is “now starting to be installed while the field begins to get covered.” The ice will “start to go in this coming Saturday, a process which will last nearly a full week depending on the weather.” King: “It’s basically control what we can control. Both these teams have had a good start to the season. We want them to enjoy the game. The last thing we want them to worry about is conditions at puck drop” (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 10/13).
