Albertan rock band Nickelback to perform during second intermission of 2023 Heritage Classic

(Sunday) Night’s Alright For (outdoor hockey and listening to Nickelback).

The 2023 Heritage Classic between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames at Commonwealth Stadium later this month will feature some added Albertan flavour, as rock band Nickelback is set to perform during the second intermission of the game.

Nickelback was formed in Hanna, Alberta in 1995 and they gained popularity throughout the 2000s and 2010s with hit songs such as How You Remind Me, Photograph, Rockstar, and a cover of Elton John’s famous Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting). 

For Oilers fans, the deepest Nickelback cut might be Savin’ Me, which was used in Hockey Night in Canada’s pre-game video for Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final.

Nickelback was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the JUNO Awards in Edmonton earlier this year and Oilers captain Connor McDavid presented them with the award. “Before we say anything, how badass is it to be in Edmonton and have the best hockey player in the world right now give that award to us?” said singer-guitarist Chad Kroeger after McDavid invited the band to the stage.

This year’s Heritage Classic comes 20 years after the Oilers and Montreal Canadiens took part in the first-ever regular season NHL game to be played outdoors. The game took place on November 22, 2003 in front of a crowd of 57,167 spectators at Commonwealth Arena despite temperatures of close to −30 °C with wind chill.

Since then, outdoor games have become a staple in the NHL. There have been Winter Classic games held at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Fenway Park in Boston, Notre Dame Stadium in Indiana, and Cotton Bown Stadium in Dallas, among many other locations. The Oilers also played in a Heritage Classic game with the Winnipeg Jets in October of 2016 and won by a score of 3-0.