This article is more than 7 years old and some information may not be up to date.
Darnell Nurse of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates his second period goal with teammates during the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Investors Group Field.
Dave Sandford / Getty Images
Edmonton struck first in the outdoor game thanks to a shorthanded goal by Mark Letestu 9:24 into the second period. The forward beat goalie Connor Hellebuyck on a breakaway after Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien coughed up the puck near Edmonton’s blueline.
The Oilers then went up 2-0 less than two minutes later as Darnell Nurse came out of the penalty box to score on an odd-man rush. The goal was set up by Connor McDavid, moving the Edmonton captain into a three-way tie for first place in points among the league with nine.
Edmonton increased its lead with 2:44 left in the period after Jets rookie Patrik Laine turned the puck over in his own end. Zach Kassian beat Hellebuyck with a wrist shot for his second goal of the season. Kassian also had an assist on Nurse’s goal to finish the night with two points.
“In the first, we got pucks behind them, we were getting pucks to the net and we were creating rebounds,” said Jets forward Mark Scheifele. “In the second we got away from it. We tried to make plays through people in the neutral zone and they made us pay for it.”
Story continues below advertisement
Cam Talbot made 31 saves for the Oilers to earn his league-leading fifth win. The shutout was Talbot’s first of the season. Hellebuyvk stopped 29 shots in the loss.
“We rose to the challenge and played a good game,” said McDavid.
“Talbot was great and we had a few other guys step up, so it was a good feeling today for sure.”
Neither team was able to capitalize on the power play during the game. Winnipeg was scoreless in four man advantages while Edmonton went 0/2.
1/24
The ice crew keeps the playing surface covered before the Winnipeg Jets face the Edmonton Oilers for the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic hockey game on October 23, 2016 at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The game is delayed due to sun on the ice surface.
Jason Halstead / Getty Images
View full screen
2/24
The ice crew keeps the playing surface covered before the Winnipeg Jets face the Edmonton Oilers for the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic hockey game on October 23, 2016 at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The game is delayed due to sun on the ice surface.
Jason Halstead / Getty Images
View full screen
3/24
The Winnipeg Jets warm up with a soccer ball before playing in the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic against the Edmonton Oilers at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images
View full screen
4/24
Edmonton Oilers fans look for autographs before their team faced the Winnipeg Jets in the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic hockey game on October 23, 2016 at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Jason Halstead / Getty Images
View full screen
5/24
Oscar Klefbom of the Edmonton Oilers warms up with a soccer ball before playing in the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic against the Winnipeg Jets at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images
View full screen
6/24
Fans fill the concourse during a weather delay before the Winnipeg Jets take on the Edmonton Oilers during the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Andy Devlin / Getty Images
View full screen
7/24
Michael Hutchinson of the Winnipeg Jets takes shots from his teammates before action against the Edmonton Oilers during the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic hockey game on October 23, 2016 at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Jason Halstead / Getty Images
View full screen
8/24
Goaltender Cam Talbot of the Edmonton Oilers warms up before playing against the Winnipeg Jets in the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Andy Devlin / Getty Images
View full screen
9/24
Fans stand for the Canadian national anthem in advance of the Winnipeg Jets taking on the Edmonton Oilers during the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images
View full screen
10/24
Goalie Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets takes to the ice before taking on the Edmonton Oilers during the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Andre Ringuette / Getty Images
View full screen
11/24
Goalie Cam Talbot leads the Edmonton Oilers to the ice before taking on the the Winnipeg Jets during the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Andre Ringuette / Getty Images
View full screen
12/24
A flyover is performed during the national anthem before the start of the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic between the Edmonton Oilers and the Winnipeg Jets at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Dave Sandford / Getty Images
View full screen
13/24
Jordan Eberle of the Edmonton Oilers challenges Tyler Myers #57 of the Winnipeg Jets in the first period of the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Andy Devlin / Getty Images
View full screen
14/24
Mark Letestu of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates his short-handed goal aganst the Winnipeg Jets with teammates during the second period of the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Dave Sandford / Getty Images
View full screen
15/24
Fans cheer on the Winnipeg Jets as they take on the the Edmonton Oilers during the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images
View full screen
16/24
Darnell Nurse of the Edmonton Oilers scores a goal on goaltender Connor Hellebuyck #37 of the Winnipeg Jets assisted by Connor McDavid #97 during the second period of the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Dave Sandford / Getty Images
View full screen
17/24
An overhead view of the Canadian flag on the ice during the national anthem before the start of the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic between the Edmonton Oilers and the Winnipeg Jets at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images
View full screen
18/24
A flyover is performed during the national anthem before the start of the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic between the Edmonton Oilers and the Winnipeg Jets at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images
View full screen
19/24
Zack Kassian of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates his goal as goaltender Connor Hellebuyck #37 of the Winnipeg Jets reacts during the second period of the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images
View full screen
20/24
Eric Gryba of the Edmonton Oilers checks Winnipeg Jets forward Brandon Tanev during the third period of the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Dave Sandford / Getty Images
View full screen
21/24
A close-up of Winnipeg Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien's skates during the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Andre Ringuette / Getty Images
View full screen
22/24
Oscar Klefbom of the Edmonton Oilers congratulates goaltender Cam Talbot after a 3-0 shutout over the Winnipeg Jets in the 2016 Tim Hortons Heritage Classic on October 23, 2016 at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Jonathan Kozub / Getty Images
View full screen
23/24
Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets leaves the ice after a 3-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers during the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Andre Ringuette / Getty Images
View full screen
24/24
Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers is congratulated by the Winnipeg Jets after the Oilers won the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic 3-0 at Investors Group Field on October 23, 2016 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Andy Devlin / Getty Images
View full screen
The start of the game was delayed by almost two hours due to sun glare. The NHL says player safety would be in jeopardy if an outdoor game is played with intermittent sunlight. There were still a few sun spots on the ice when the puck eventually dropped at 3:53 p.m. CT.
Story continues below advertisement
“I went out at one point, it was still kind of overcast but you could tell the sun was starting to peek through, so you could tell it was probably going to be delayed,” said Talbot. “It’s not out of the realm of possibility, so we were prepared for that if it was so happen.”
The temperature at the start of the game was 10.1 C.
The 2016 Heritage Classic is the first regular-season outdoor NHL game to be played in Canada since the Ottawa Senators beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 at BC Place in 2014. Of all the players who suited up at Investors Group Field, 14 have previously skated in at least one outdoor NHL game. Oilers forward Benoit Pouliot has played the most with Sunday’s match marking his fourth appearance.
The attendance at Investors Group Field was 33,240. A lucky spectator went home $207,000 richer after winning the 50/50.
Story continues below advertisement
The 2016 Heritage Classic was the earliest regular-season outdoor NHL game to have ever been held, beating the inaugural Heritage Classic in 2003 by a month.