McDavid stoked for Nickelback at 2023 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic

EDMONTON -- Connor McDavid is looking forward to sharing the spotlight with Canadian rock band Nickelback at the 2023 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic.

The Edmonton Oilers captain has a special bond with the iconic group, who will be performing during the second intermission of the outdoor game against the Calgary Flames at Commonwealth Stadium on Oct. 29 (7 p.m. ET; TBS, MAX, SN, TVAS).

It won't be the first time McDavid is on the same bill as Nickelback. He took the stage at the Juno Awards at Rogers Place on March 13 to welcome Nickelback into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. The Junos are held annually in Canada, recognizing outstanding achievements in music.

"I got to know them a number of years ago at a concert," McDavid said. "I came to see the show and met some of them afterwards and fast forward a couple of years, and they were looking for someone to introduce them to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. I'm sure they asked around to a few people, but I'm a local guy and didn't have anything to do that night and was honored to do that for them."

McDavid said the friendship with the band has built over time. Nickelback was formed in 1995 and hail from Hanna, Alberta, a small town about 200 miles southeast of Edmonton. The band features lead singer Chad Kroeger, keyboardist Ryan Peake, drummer Daniel Adair and bassist Mike Kroeger.

"I was a fan before I met them," McDavid said. "I know in Canada sometimes it's trendy not to like Nickelback, but I was never on that bandwagon. Their songs are great, and I had a number of great childhood memories driving to the rink with my dad, my mom or my brother in the car and listening to them. I have great memories listening to Nickelback."

Nickelback is one of the most successful Canadian music groups of all time, selling over 50 million albums worldwide. The band has released 10 studio albums and has won five SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) international achievement awards. They have also been nominated for six Grammy Awards.

"Connor is a huge Nickelback fan," Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse said. "I'm not going to say I'm a huge Nickelback fan, but I know a lot of their music. They're a big Canadian band and I think you have to support bands from our country, and they have so many hits that everybody knows."

Some of Nickelback's most popular songs include, "How You Remind Me," "Photograph," "Rockstar," "Far Away," and "If Today Was Your Last Day."

The 2023 Heritage Classic will mark the 20th anniversary of the first outdoor regular season game in NHL history. In 2003, the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Montreal Canadiens at Commonwealth Stadium in front of 57,167 fans on a November evening where temperatures dipped to minus-22 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-30 degrees Celsius) with the windchill. Montreal won the game 4-3.

"The spectacle of it, that's what makes it so fun, so special," McDavid said. "I'm picturing this place [Commonwealth Stadium] full, with Edmonton and Calgary fans going crazy, that's something us hockey guys get excited about. I have lots of family coming in, I'm looking forward to the family skate before the game. Those are memories that I'll have for a lifetime and I'm just excited for the whole weekend, it should be fun."

McDavid said Nickelback playing during the second intermission of the game will add to the excitement of the event.

"I know they like to do big productions with fireworks and fire, so I hope they don't ruin the ice," McDavid joked. "Hopefully they can remember it's a hockey game and not a Nickelback concert, but it's really cool to have them be a part of it."

Fans can purchase their tickets to the 2023 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic here.