It has been made official. The Red Wings and Maple Leafs are set to take it back outdoors in January of 2017 at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario.
BMO Field is home of the Toronto FC (MLS), and has an official capacity of 30,991. The Leafs and Wings last outdoor game at The Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan set a world record for largest outdoor hockey game with around 105,000 in attendance. Clearly, this is not going to be on the same level, but it will surely be a fantastic event.
UPDATE: According to a few different folks up north, the Toronto Argonauts (CFL) will be moving to this facility, and there have been ongoing renovations to increase the capacity to well-over what it currently is. I’m not from Toronto, and I’ve never been there, so I have very little knowledge. Good to know though, for those who are contemplating making the trip to attend the event.
From the Red Wings’ press release:
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings will face-off in an outdoor regular-season game at BMO Field in Toronto on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, in the first-ever NHL Centennial Classic™, the NHL® announced today.
In 2017, the NHL will conduct a year-long Centennial celebration that will feature a variety of ceremonies, recognitions, observances and special events that will highlight 100 years of NHL hockey and also will recognize a number of milestone anniversaries for member Clubs, including the Maple Leafs.
The game will be a rematch of the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic®. On New Year’s Day 2014, a record crowd of 105,491 watched the Red Wings and Maple Leafs rekindle their Original Six™ rivalry at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. Snow fell throughout the day, providing the perfect backdrop for a thrilling game, which the Maple Leafs won, 3-2, in a shootout.
