‘We know we’re not going to beat Mother Nature’

Ice preparations have officially begun at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg ahead of the 2026 Heritage Classic outdoor game between the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens. The NHL's mobile refrigeration unit arrived on Tuesday, and a crew of nearly 150 workers led by NHL vice-president of hockey operations and facilities operations King has started installing piping beneath the stadium's field before ice installation begins this weekend.

To prevent sunlight delays like those that affected the 2016 Heritage Classic, puck drop has been scheduled for just after 6 p.m. on Oct. 25. The outdoor surface will require approximately 25,000 gallons of water and will be double the thickness of standard indoor arena ice, maintained at 22 degrees Fahrenheit using 3,000 gallons of glycol coolant.