The NHL Will Be 100 Years Old in 2017. The 2017 Centennial Classic on Jan. 1 Between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings is Only the Beginning of What the NHL Planned in Celebration. The NHL Announced the Year-Long Celebration This Week.
The 2017 NHL Centennial Classic will take place on Jan. 1 at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Original Six matchup is the perfect way to celebrate 100 years of hockey but it isn’t the only celebration the NHL has planned.
The NHL is planning to celebrate the League’s centennial all year long with a variety of planned events. The celebration, which includes the NHL All-Star Game and Stadium Series, also holds a mobile NHL Centennial Arena Tour.
The NHL Centennial Arena Tour
The NHL Centennial Arena Tour will be a mobile attraction that will tour to visit the fans of every NHL market. The tour will feature two 53-foot trailers that will bring fans a mobile hockey moments museum and a video-viewing space.
A virtual reality Zamboni game experience will allow fans to compete for the fastest time on smoothing the ice. The virtual reality experience will be the first of its kind and will allow fans to sit on a game-sized Zamboni as they play.
A pop-up ball hockey rink will also be present for the event, therefore giving youth hockey players the opportunity to test their skills through clinics.
Furthermore, the main attraction of the arena tour will be the Stanley Cup. Hence, fans will have the opportunity to grab a photo opportunity with the NHL’s biggest celebrity.
The Arena Tour event will visit every NHL team’s location, therefore every fan can enjoy the event.
2017 NHL Centennial Calendar of Celebrations
The NHL’s calendar of events for NHL Centennial celebrations:
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All Year Long, NHL Centennial Fan Arena Traveling Tour
Jan. 1, Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic™ (Toronto, ON)
Jan. 1, 100 Greatest NHL Players Unveiling (Players who played from 1917-1966)
Jan. 2, Tournament of Roses Parade – “A Century of Greatness (1917-2017)” Float (Pasadena, CA)
Jan. 2, 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® (St. Louis, MO)
Jan. 27-29, 2017 NHL® All-Star (Los Angeles, CA)
Jan. 27, THE NHL100™ – 100 Greatest NHL Players Unveiling at Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, CA (Players who played from 1967 to present day)
Feb. 25, 2017 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series™ (Pittsburgh, PA)
March 15-18, Stanley Cup® 125th Anniversary Celebrations (Ottawa, ON)
June, 2017 NHL Awards™ (Las Vegas, NV)
Jun. 23-24, 2017 NHL Draft™ (Chicago, IL)
Nov. 26, NHL 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the League
Dec. 19, NHL 100th Anniversary of the First Games Played
Here’s to 100 Years of Hockey
It all starts with the NHL Centennial Classic and continues all year long. Between the announcement of the NHL’s 100 greatest players, past and present, to the outdoor games, therefore fans will be rolling in the fun.
The Tournament of Roses Parade and the anniversary events, along with the addition of the Vegas Golden Knights, is the perfect way to celebrate 100 years of hockey.
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Which event are you looking forward to the most? What players do you think might crack the NHL 100?
One thing is for sure, there is a lot to look forward to in the 2017 centennial year.