Another historic first in outdoor hockey is happening in Buffalo next year.
Yesterday, the IIHF and USA Hockey announced that the preliminary game between the USA and Canada on December 29, 2017 will take place outdoors at New Era Field.
The newly christened home of the Buffalo Bills will be hosting its second outdoor game, after it housed the inaugural Winter Classic between the Sabres and Penguins back in 2008. The stadium seats over 71,000 and tickets will go on sale to the general public on November 28. Season ticket holders to the Sabres and members of USA Hockey will get to purchase pre-sale tickets starting October 31.
This is another marquee event that the Pegula family and the Sabres organization has brought to Buffalo over the past few years, joining the 2018 World Juniors, the 2016 NHL Draft, draft combines, and the IIHF Women’s World Championships as banner events taking place in Western New York.
With the game taking place on Dec. 29, obvious speculation sprung up that the Sabres could host the 2018 Winter Classic (against Toronto maybe?) but the team was quick to deny that, instead keeping the focus squarely on the USA/Canada matchup.
Who’s excited for some outdoor World Junior action?