Traffic, fan festival and other things about the NHL Heritage Classic set for Hamilton this weekend

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres are set to play the sixth-ever NHL Heritage Classic at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton on Sunday afternoon.

It marks a return to the NHL schedule after the 2019 event at Regina’s Mosaic Stadium.

Other Classics were 2016 in Winnipeg, 2014 in Vancouver, 2011 in Calgary and 2003 in Edmonton.

The Alberta game was the first, featuring the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens at Commonwealth Stadium.

Since then, the NHL has had 35 outdoor games across North America.

Traffic, free buses and a fan festival are just some of the things ticket-holders and residents at the event site should be aware of prior to puck drop.

City staff are giving residents and travellers in central Hamilton a heads up on street closures coming Sunday in advance of the game.

Motorists can expect to see more roadway shutdowns around 11 p.m. on Saturday night effective until 7 a.m. Monday.

The affected roadways include:

• Melrose Avenue – Beechwood Avenue to Cannon Street
• Beechwood Avenue – Melrose Avenue to Balsam Avenue
• Balsam Avenue – Beechwood Avenue to Cannon Street

Cannon Street from Balsam Avenue to Melrose Avenue is already closed and will be until 7 p.m. Monday.

In the event of a weather delay, the roads potentially could be closed until Tuesday.

Those looking for a lift via HSR can ride select buses, shuttles or ATS/DARTS free to and from the game starting at 11:40 a.m. on Sunday.

The Gold Line Shuttle will operate between Lime Ridge Mall and Tim Hortons Field while the Black Line operates between Eastgate Square and Tim Hortons Field.

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Until Monday night, customers travelling on Route 3 Cannon will see detours due to the closure of Cannon Street.

Fans with a ticket to the Classic will have access to the Proline+ NHL PreGame festival that will run until the second intermission.

Features include photos with the Stanley Cup, views of the NHL’s trophies (like the Hart, Conn Smythe, and Art Ross), coffee and beer tents, as well as slapshot and accuracy shooting stations.

Free merchandise will include personalized Tim Hortons Upper Deck hockey cards and Canadian Tire branded sunglasses or eye-black stickers.

Other entertainment includes a pre-game performance from pop-punk singer Willow – daughter of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.

Willow broke onto the music scene in 2010 with her R&B song Whip My Hair.

The first puck drop, originally scheduled for 3 p.m., has changed and is now expected sometime between 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Four CT-155 Hawk training jets from the Canadian Forces Flying Training School in Moose Jaw, Sask., will do a flyby over the Classic just before the faceoff.

Grammy award-winner Alessia Cara, from Brampton, Ont., will perform during the first intermission.

The Hamilton Bulldogs will make use of the outdoor rink at Tim Hortons Field the day after the Heritage Classic by hosting the Oshawa Generals for a regular-season OHL matchup.

It’s the fourth outdoor game for the league following a 2013 doubleheader event in Hockeytown Detroit in 2013 and Ottawa’s TD place stadium in 2017.

Ticket prices range between $25 and $45 with game time 7 p.m. on the first day of the March break for students on the 14th.

Season ticket-holders will have the outdoor game included at no extra cost.