Some might look at the transition from the 2011 Hockey Day in America double-header to the Heritage Classic as American hockey passing the torch to a frigid outdoor game in Canada, but it ultimately comes down to a day full of treats for hockey fans. Between NBC and Versus, U.S. puckheads can experience about nine straight hours of hockey this Sunday. So let’s take a look at an event some might call Canada’s answer to the Winter Classic.
The beauty of this February 20th game is that it lands deeper into the playoff picture than the January 1st Winter Classic, which means that the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames will have plenty to play for.
The Habs are locked into an intense race for the Northeast Division crown, as they currently trail their hated rivals the Boston Bruins for four points. Meanwhile the red-hot Flames forced their way into the Western Conference playoff picture, as they’re in a five-way tie for sixth place but are technically seated at 10th right now.
So with this playoff push in mind, three injured Canadiens might play in the game for reasons beyond the right to play in a historic game. NHL.com reports that Michael Cammalleri and Hal Gill are likely to make their returns to the Habs lineup, but the biggest upset is that James Wisniewski might also play only three days after blocking a shot with his face. (You can check out his nasty, Matt Hendricks-reminiscent wound in this post’s main image, via NHL.com.)
As you can see, this game means quite a bit to both teams, even beyond the big picture opportunity of playing an NHL contest outdoors in hockey-mad Canada.
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Calgary officials track down some counterfeit HC jerseys.