The Boston Bruins will host the Montreal Canadiens in the 2016 NHL Winter Classic. The game is set to be played in Foxborough, Mass. at Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots.
An NHL league source confirmed the rumors on Monday, and said that an official announcement will be made at the NHL All-Star Game, WEEI Sports Boston reports. The All-Star Game takes place this weekend in Columbus, Ohio.
The 2016 matchup should draw an enormous crowd, as it features one of the NHL’s oldest and greatest rivalries– the Bruins vs. the Canadiens.
This is not the first time the Bruins have hosted the Winter Classic. The 2010 Winter Classic was held at Fenway Park in downtown Boston between the Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers. That game was a thriller and ended with a Bruins overtime victory.
According to ESPNBoston, the only players on the Bruins roster who played in the 2010 Winter Classic were Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and Zdeno Chara.
The Winter Classic is an annual NHL game held on New Years Day and played outdoors. The first Winter Classic game was played in 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. It featured a matchup between the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins. This season’s Winter Classic between the Washington Capitals and the Chicago Blackhawks was held at Nationals Park in Washington D.C.
Bruins defenseman, Dougie Hamilton, said that the game will be, “something to really look forward to for next year.”