The league announced the game on September 16, 2021.
Hamilton, Ontario, was chosen due to its location in the
Golden Horseshoe midway between Buffalo and Toronto. This was Toronto's first Heritage Classic appearance, and Buffalo became the first U.S. team to both compete in and host a Heritage Classic.[1]
The 2022 Heritage Classic was the lowest attended
NHL outdoor game with 26,119 spectators.[2]
Entertainment
Country pop singer
Lindsay Ell performed the Canadian and American national anthems and singer
Alessia Cara performed during the first intermission. The
Canadian Olympic women's ice hockey team, the gold medal winners at the
2022 Winter Olympics, were honoured during the second intermission.[3] This game marks the first time that the bilingual version of
O Canada was sung at the Heritage Classic.