The 2019 NHL Heritage Classic Honors Saskatchewan's Legacy While Enriching Its Future

Over the course of his 26-plus years as NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman has often leaned into the chorus of boos that greets him when when he appears before fans to present the Stanley Cup or oversee proceedings at the draft.

There was none of that in Saskatchewan on Friday, when Bettman announced the introduction of the new 'NHL Hockey Is For Everyone' scholarship alongside Calgary Flames president and CEO John Bean and Winnipeg Jets executive chairman and governor Mark Chipman. The announcement came as part of this weekend's Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic festivities, capped off by Saturday night's outdoor game between the Flames and Jets.

"Regardless of how he may be received in other communities, he's probably the biggest hero of the weekend right now here in Saskatchewan," said Tim Reid, president and CEO of the Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL), the not-for-profit corporation that operates the 100-acre Evraz Place property which includes 33,000-seat Mosaic Stadium, where Saturday's game will be played.

"We're really incredibly thankful for what he's done and encouraged that all eyes are going to be on our community and we're going to show it in a great light in the weekend ahead."

The 2019 edition of the Heritage Classic is the fifth all-Canadian affair since the NHL debuted its outdoor games in Edmonton back in 2003. It's also the first of the league's 28 outdoor games ever to be played at a true neutral site.

With a population of barely 200,000, Regina may not be an obvious host city at first glance. But the community offered a sparkling three-year-old football stadium, a location that's almost exactly halfway between Calgary to the west and Winnipeg to the east, and an enthusiastic population of just over 1 million throughout Saskatchewan that has deep connections to the game of hockey.

"The event is more than just the game," said Bettman on Friday in front of a sold-out crowd of 600 at the Legacy Luncheon co-hosted by REAL and the Regina Chamber of Commerce. "It's about what we do surrounding the game. It's about making our presence a part of the community. That's one of the reasons we do the Legacy project.

"We give the economy a boost - I think the estimates I heard are $15 million (CDN) - and we're happy to be here. We want to make this the best experience possible for the community."

"Anytime you bring new dollars to a community, it's a big win, particularly in Western Canada right now, where we're dealing with some of the challenges of compression in the energy sector as well as some challenges of agriculture and being able to get access to markets," continued Reid, who thinks the economic impact of the Heritage Classic will ultimately exceed initial projections.

"Anytime we can grow tourism, this is meaningful for our entire province. We've used the number $15 million, but that was before we put some of the other programming around that.

"That was before events such as (the Legacy Luncheon) were included in that economic model. It was before we looked at selling out the Prairie Classic (WHL junior hockey game in Mosaic Stadium) on Sunday. I'm optimistic that it will be substantially greater than $15 million.

"Those are hotel rooms that are filled and bars and restaurants that are filled and those are tips and part-time labor wages that really make a difference going into the last part of a year. So, not only is the scholarship going to matter, but every single person that you've seen working around this - at the end of the day, they're going to get a paycheck and that's going to be better for our community and better for families."

In addition to witnessing the scholarship announcement, guests at Friday's luncheon enjoyed a buffet meal, silent auction and an emotional nod to their region's past and future.

"We wanted to make sure that we celebrated the great food that we have here in Saskatchewan and celebrate the tradition of hockey that we have here," said Reid. "We also wanted to make sure that we recognize the partnership that we share with our Indigenous community. I thought having the chiefs onstage and the presentation of the star blanket was impactful."

"I also think the gift on behalf of the Jets and the Flames and the NHL, which is one of the largest in the history of university sports in this province, will be something that lasts for generations," Reid continued. "Today was a real special day, and it was so nice to have so many people here to celebrate with us."

Friday's luncheon also featured two hot stove segments, where host Elliotte Friedman of Rogers Sportsnet prompted Bettman and Flames and Jets legends Lanny McDonald, Jamie Macoun, Dave Ellett, Thomas Steen, Kris King and Shane Doan to share stories, memories and thoughts on the game.

It's all part of a broader experience that the NHL aims to deliver at its tentpole events - something that goes farther than just delivering the already compelling sights and sounds of a hockey game in a big outdoor stadium.

"The fact of the matter is that it's a truly unique experience," said Bettman. "There's really no regular-season game in the middle of the season in any sport that gets the attention that these games do.

"When you step back and you think about it intellectually and emotionally, we're taking the game back to its roots. There's an imagery. There's emotional recollections from players and from fans.

"So many people first learned how to skate on outdoor rinks. For us to have an experience where we're playing to capacities that are larger than our typical arenas gives our fans this special communal experience as well - to celebrate the sport, to be outdoors, and the way we dress up the stadium and the way we do all the game presentation around it.

"It's all about what makes it a unique, special experience, and fans can't get enough of attending these games."

Bettman says that every outdoor carries its own particular flavor.

"There isn't a cookie-cutter approach. We like to touch all the bases and make this purely special and really something that is local in its essence."

The 2019 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic game between the Calgary Flames and the Winnipeg Jets goes Saturday, October 26 at 10 p.m. ET on CBC and Sportsnet One (Canada) and NBCSN (U.S.).