NHL to transform Princess Auto Stadium into a cabin-themed backdrop for the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic in Winnipeg

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

WINNIPEG — The NHL is preparing a new visual look for the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic as the outdoor event returns to Winnipeg on Oct. 25. In a league announcement posted on NHL.com, the NHL said Princess Auto Stadium will be transformed into a cabin-themed set designed to bring a “rustic hockey-themed cabin” aesthetic to the game, with a contrast of the outdoor ice surface and a large, stone fireplace feature set across the front of the field.

According to the NHL, the field design will include warm lighting, oversized rustic timber logs and hockey elements intended to evoke what the league described as “cabin cottage culture.” NHL President of Content & Events Steve Mayer said the league selected the cabin-inspired concept as a way to connect the event’s visuals to Canadian heritage, adding that the Heritage Classic events in Canada “lean into the history” and aim to “bring as much of Canada into the fold.”

The league’s material describes two distinct “Canadian geographies” that it says influenced the overall direction of the design: Winnipeg in the Canadian Prairies and Montreal in Quebec. The NHL tied Winnipeg’s “cottage country” imagery and Montreal’s forest-and-mountain chalet setting to a shared outdoor hockey culture where, it said, many Canadians play recreationally on outdoor ice.

Mayer also referenced Winnipeg’s history with the Heritage Classic, saying the NHL is returning to the city for an outdoor game for the first time since the 2016 Heritage Classic. He pointed to progress from the earlier event’s field coverage, describing how the NHL “advanced from graphics to— we built, essentially, a set,” and said the league intends the finished design to create a “Wow” moment for fans as they walk into the stadium.

The NHL announcement said the Jets will face the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday in the first Heritage Classic since 2023. The league also said the event is positioned to reflect the rivalry between the Canadiens and Jets through hockey- and cabin-inspired elements, including oversized pennants, vintage-style memorabilia and wooden hockey sticks decorated with antlers, with the overall presentation described as a curated hockey lodge.

At the core of the NHL’s description is the fireplace centerpiece. The league said a dramatic stone fireplace will stretch across the front of the field, paired with a glowing fire meant to deliver a nostalgic, winter-cabin atmosphere for the outdoor broadcast. The NHL said the design is built not only for the live experience but also for television, describing the fireplace and overall lodge-style environment as the “visual anchor” for the game presentation.

Mayer said the NHL has been working on the field design for “close to a year.” He also noted that there were “more versions” of this particular field concept than for other outdoor games the league has produced. In the league’s account, Mayer attributed the repeated iterations to the meticulous work of the field design team and reiterated the goal of creating a strong visual impact for both the stadium and the broadcast audience.

The NHL added that the 2026 Heritage Classic is scheduled for Sunday evening and indicated that the league expects the design to be especially noticeable on the television feed. The announcement included an expectation that the event will appeal to fans beyond the venue’s listed capacity of 32,343, as Mayer said the league is “excited” for how the field elements will appear when the puck drops.

The Heritage Classic will mark Winnipeg’s return to NHL outdoor-game hosting since 2016, and it will continue the outdoor series’ focus on seasonally themed, locally inspired staging. With the NHL positioning cabin culture, a rivalry-focused décor package and a large-scale fireplace centerpiece as central components, the league said Princess Auto Stadium will serve as the backdrop for the Jets–Canadiens matchup on Oct. 25.