With the Saskatchewan Roughriders embarking on a three-game road trip this week, the doors to Mosaic Stadium are wide open for a whole new sport to set up shop on the turf.
While the ice-making hasn’t yet begun, Regina is already gearing up for the 2019 Tim Horton’s NHL Heritage Classic.
“The entire city is going to be rallying behind this event,” said Regina Director of Tourism Ashley Stone. “From Evraz Place to downtown to the Warehouse District, the whole city has wrapped its arms around this event.”
The NHL’s annual outdoor game will bring a stadium-sized match up between the Calgary Flames and the Winnipeg Jets to the Queen City on Oct 26. The Regina Pats and Calgary Hitmen will then take the ice in the “Prairie Classic” on Oct. 27.
But Stone says those games will only be a part of the Heritage Classic experience. Tourism Regina has declared Oct. 21-27 Hockey Week in Regina.
“From the 21st all the way to the 27th there’s going to be things going on. There’s going to be lots of events to get your hockey fix on.”
The event is expected to bring thousands of people to the Queen City. Regina Exhibition Association Limited has estimated it will have a $15 million to $18 million economic impact.
“People are going to be spending dollars in our restaurants as well as retail and staying in our accommodations,” said Stone. “Especially with a group coming from Calgary as well as from Winnipeg, there’s definitely going to be a big influx of visitors. The city is going to be booming.”
While they may be scarce, there are still hotel rooms available in Regina for the Heritage Classic weekend. Ticketmaster also shows tickets available for both the NHL and WHL games.
Here’s a look at a few of things you’ll be able to do during Hockey Week in Regina:
Do your best Austin Pratt impression at the Brandt Centre
From Oct. 22-24, there will be free public skating at the Brandt Centre.
Take advantage of the offer from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. with the U of R Cougars men’s and women’s hockey teams on Oct. 22, and from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the 23rd and 24th.
Get your game on in the Sticks road hockey tournament
The community-run Sticks Ball Hockey Tournament is back. The single-day event will pit 24 corporate teams against each other in City Plaza with big-time bragging rights on the line.
See one of professional sport’s most iconic trophies in person
Though full details on this opportunity haven’t yet been released, Stone confirmed that Lord Frederick Stanley’s famous Cup will make an appearance at some point during the festivities.
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