"A Super Bowl-like Atmosphere"

The entire hockey world is talking about Saturday's "Heritage Classic" in Edmonton. The Oilers and Montreal Canadiens will play the first outdoor game in NHL history tomorrow night, with 56,000 fans cheering them on in freezing temperatures. The event has electrified the city of Edmonton and much of Canada. Today, Mark Messier joined his old Oiler teammates to prepare for the "Mega-Stars" gathering that precedes the NHL game.

Messier, Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri and other members of the Edmonton dynasty of the 1980s will take on the Montreal Canadiens' alumni on Saturday afternoon. Messier will be the only active NHL player in either lineup. New York Rangers' coach and GM Glen Sather, who will coach the Edmonton old-timers, gave Messier the go-ahead to play last night.

"It's a good way for me to say thanks to a lot of people in Edmonton," Messier told reporters, a reminder that he won five Stanley Cups in an Oilers' uniform.

Meanwhile, there's much speculation on how the weather will affect the game that actually counts in the standings: Saturday night's meeting of the (real) Oilers and Canadiens. Edmonton is cold, and a stiff wind is likely to make it feel even colder.

There has been speculation that severe cold could force the cancellation of the NHL's first outdoor game, but officials say that won't happen. "It would have to be freakin' cold," said Oilers' executive Cal Nichols, at TSN.ca.

"When (the wind) is at my back, I will look like I'm skating like Pavel Bure,'' Oiler Georges Laraque told the Edmonton Sun.

Oiler teams, both old and young, worked out at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday. Reporters gathered in Edmonton say the city is gripped by a "Super Bowl-like atmosphere." Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail attended Friday's workouts. "The fans are going to love it," Oilers defenseman Cory Cross told Duhatschek. "They're paying the money to see the game and I think it's awesome. It's great for everybody."

"Hopefully, the wind stays down," he added. "Backchecking against the wind, when you're out on a long shift, is going to be a tough thing to do."

Turning Commonwealth Stadium, a football facility, into a hockey rink has been the job of NHL ice master Dan Craig. CBC.ca reviews how Craig and his crew have worked 16 hours a day for two weeks to get the ice in order.