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The QEW rivalry may be in line for an outdoor meeting this upcoming season. According to a report from Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News, the March 13th afternoon game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres slated for the Key Bank Center may be shifted to Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, ON (home of the CFL’s Tigercats) for the 2022 Heritage Classic.
The game is a Sabres home game, but was not included in the club’s season ticket package (unlike the Winter Classic game at Ralph Wilson Stadium vs. Pittsburgh in 2008), but Tim Hortons Field holds only 24,000 as opposed to the former Ralph’s 70,000-plus seats.
The Heritage Classic has been exclusively reserved for Canadian-based clubs, which would make Buffalo the first American club to take part. Toronto has not played an outdoor game since a 5-2 loss to Washington in Annapolis, MD in March, 2018.
One complicating factor may be the current restrictions at the US – Canadian border. The Canadian government is only allowing essential travelers or those who have been fully vaccinated and have had a COVID-19 PCR test 72 hours prior to crossing. The US government has extended their ban to non-essential travelers to September 21 in part because of the restrictions put on by the Canadian government.
If these restrictions extend into 2022, it is likely that the outdoor game will be relocated back to Buffalo.
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