Leafs-Sabres Heritage Classic confirmed for March 13

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres will battle in the 2022 Heritage Classic at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton on March 13, the league announced Thursday.

The venue is the home of the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats. It typically holds 23,000 spectators but can be expanded to 40,000 depending on the event.

"We are excited to announce that we will be presenting another Tim Hortons Heritage Classic this season," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. "When the Toronto Maple Leafs meet the Buffalo Sabres at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, we again will honor Canada's preeminent role in the history of our game while renewing a great and longstanding NHL rivalry. In addition, by inviting the first U.S.-based team to a Heritage Classic, we will celebrate the greater Golden Horseshoe region as the home of so many fans of both the Leafs and Sabres."

This will be the sixth edition of the Heritage Classic. The event began in 2003 and was most recently played in 2019 in Regina, Saskatchewan.

The Sabres will be considered the home team, as the game was initially scheduled on the same date at the KeyBank Center.

The NHL has two outdoor games scheduled next season before the Leafs and Sabres clash. The Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues will take part in the Winter Classic, and the Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning battle in a Stadium Series contest.