NEW YORK/TORONTO — With the incomparable Wayne Gretzky serving as the official ambassador, the National Hockey League will venerate its history, celebrate its present and anticipate its future with a year-long Centennial celebration in 2017.
The Centennial celebration will commence on January 1, 2017, in Toronto with the NHL Centennial Classic™ outdoor game between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs at BMO Field. It will witness the unveiling of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history during All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles Jan 25-27. And it will visit every NHL market and dozens of other local hockey communities during a 12-month festival of events and content initiatives culminating with the anniversary of the League’s founding on Nov. 26 and first games on Dec. 19.
Gretzky, the League’s all-time leading scorer and holder of dozens of NHL records, will make appearances at various events throughout the calendar year in his role as Centennial Ambassador.
“A century of great players, great plays and great moments deserves a year-long celebration, and we invite everyone to join our party in 2017,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We are delighted that Wayne Gretzky — whose spectacular contributions on the ice matched his immeasurable graciousness and popularity off the ice — will serve as our Centennial’s official ambassador as we honor all the drama, suspense, excitement and memories that have thrilled the best fans in sports for generations.”
“I am honored to serve as the NHL’s Centennial Ambassador and to help the League celebrate its first 100 years,” Wayne Gretzky said. “Anyone who knows me knows that I have long revered the history of our game and the players, coaches and executives who built the League before I was fortunate enough to enter it. And it is no secret that I remain an avid fan who watches games every night and marvels at the young players who are leading the greatest sport in the world into the League’s next century.
“As I’ve said countless times, I owe just about everything I now have in my life to the game of hockey and the National Hockey League. And I am thrilled to spend the next year celebrating its past, present and future with hockey fans around the world.”
2017 NHL CENTENNIAL CALENDAR OF CELEBRATIONS
Jan. – Dec. — NHL Centennial Truck Tour
Jan. – Dec. — NHL Time Capsule
Jan. 1 — NHL Centennial Classic™ (Toronto, Ont.)
Jan. 2 — Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade (Pasadena, CA)
Jan. 2, 2017 — Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® (St. Louis, MO)
Jan. 27-29, 2017 — NHL® All-Star (Los Angeles, CA)
Feb. 25, 2017 — Coors Light NHL Stadium Series™ (Pittsburgh, PA)
Mar. 15-18 — Stanley Cup® 125th Anniversary Celebrations (Ottawa, Ont.)
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
The Centennial celebrations will culminate with special events in the League’s birthplace, Montreal, and the site of the League’s first-ever game – Ottawa, in November and December, respectively. Details on these events will be announced at a later date.
