Winnipeg will host the NHL 2026 Heritage Classic between the Jets and Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 25, 2026 at Princess Auto Stadium, the league announced Dec. 6.
The announcement comes after months of rumours Winnipeg would be getting an outdoor game early next season. It will be the first Heritage Classic since 2023.
Winnipeg has not hosted an outdoor game since 2016, when the Jets faced the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 23 in the 2016 Heritage Classic at the stadium then known as Investors Group Field. The Oilers won 3-0. The Jets also played in the 2019 Heritage Classic at Regina’s Mosaic Stadium on Oct. 29 versus the Calgary Flames. The Jets won 2-1 in overtime.
The Canadiens played in the inaugural Heritage Classic in 2003, which was also the first regular-season outdoor contest in NHL history and fell 4-3 to the Oilers. They also played in the 2011 Heritage Classic, defeating the Flames 4-0; the 2016 Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, defeating the Boston Bruins 5-1; and the 2017 NHL 100 Classic at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa, defeating the Senators 3-0.
