Outdoor hockey
I agree with your sentiments, Peter, but Buffalo was only the first outdoor game to be dubbed the "Winter Classic."
The modern NHL's first outdoor game was played here in Edmonton in 2004. The "Heritage Classic" between the Oilers and Montreal Canadiens in front of 58,000 fans in minus-40 degree temperatures at Commonwealth Stadium was truly a sight to behold — particularly since it was preceded by a 40-minute oldtimers game featuring Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Guy Lafleur, Steve Shutt and more than a dozen other Hall of Famers from the Oilers and Habs.
Since it was too cold to use Zambonis to clean the ice during the oldtimers game, Lafleur, Messier and several others simply picked up push-scrapers and methodically cleaned the surface by skating back and forth for 15 minutes. It was an unforgettable sight — and earned a well-deserved standing ovation. Truly an iconic moment in the history of our national game.
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