The 2010 Winter Classic in Boston. Photo credit: misconmmike | Flickr

Ready for outdoor NHL hockey in Vancouver?

Tickets are on sale this week for the NHL’s 2014 Heritage Classic, which will see the Vancouver Canucks face the Ottawa Senators on March 2.  But it’s not the matchup as much as the venue that matters.  The game will take place on a specially built rink inside B.C. Place. – and, if all goes well, the roof will be wide open.

Judging from ticket sales, enthusiasm in Vancouver is high.  Since going on sale on Thursday, the cheapest ticket categories ($62.20 and $104.20) have already sold out on Ticketmaster and a sellout of the entire 54,500-seat stadium seems in the cards, according to the Vancouver Sun.

Outdoor NHL games have surged in popularity in recent years.  The first Heritage Classic – which pits two Canadian teams against one another in an open-air venue – took place in Edmonton in 2003. A second was hosted in Calgary in 2011.  Meanwhile, since 2008, yearly Winter Classic games between American teams have been held in the U.S.

For fans and players, the appeal is obvious.   Continue reading:
Outdoor NHL Hockey Coming to Vancouver: Tickets on sale for Heritage Classic at BC Place