BUFFALO, N.Y – The U.S. and Canada will make history when the two rivals battle outdoors on Dec. 29, 2017, in a preliminary round game of the 2018 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship. The announcement, which was nationally televised on NHL Network from KeyBank Center in Buffalo, came today from USA Hockey and the Buffalo Sabres, host of the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship.

The outdoor game, one of 31 total in the 2018 World Juniors, will be staged at New Era Field in Orchard Park, New York, home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. Never before has an outdoor game been played at any top-level IIHF world championship.

The IIHF World Junior Championship, one of the most highly anticipated hockey events annually, includes the best men’s players under the age of 20 from 10 nations around the world. The 2018 event will be conducted from Dec. 26, 2017-Jan. 5, 2018. KeyBank Center and HarborCenter in downtown Buffalo will stage all but the outdoor game.

“The U.S.-Canada rivalry is as good as it gets in sport,” said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey, “and to have an outdoor game between the two countries as part of the World Juniors in hockey-rich Western New York will be spectacular.”

“The World Juniors is an amazing event itself and to add to it with an outdoor game is about as cool as it gets,” said Russ Brandon, president of both the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bills. “It’s never been done before in the World Juniors and we’re excited to be making history.”