0511: The Tri-Winter Tournament

Here's an odd Classic Saturday idea to throw out there. Tex Fischer put together these Heritage Classic-type throwback designs for a trio of Canadian teams a couple years ago. They've been sitting in my inbox for a while. But I suddenly had a thought. With all the extra outdoor games we're getting next winter, the concept is bound to lose some of its novelty.

So to recapture it, imagine a three-team, two-day outdoor tournament. Three clubs could meet at a neutral site, say in Saskatchewan. Maybe Toronto and Vancouver play on Saturday night and the winner faces Montreal on Sunday. (The loser of the first game could have a make-up date set with Montreal later in the season to balance the schedule.)

Is that idea totally crazy? I think it would make for a very cool event over a long holiday weekend. And it would make the Heritage Classic unique again. Not only that, but from a marketing perspective, you get another huge fan base in the mix.