The NHL chose a very good time to announce a very interesting new initiative.

On Memorial Day, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced that beginning in the 2017-18 season, the NHL will play outdoor hockey games at military academies throughout the country.

The first game will occur on March 3, 2018, when the Washington Capitals face the Toronto Maple Leafs. The game will take place at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.

According to ESPN, “The event, the first of its kind for the NHL at a U.S. military academy, will be held as part of the league’s annual Stadium Series, which has seen games played at a variety of outdoor venues since 2014.

“Just imagine for a second the Navy band playing the Star Spangled Banner on the field,” Bettman said. “That will be 87 years to the day that President Hoover signed the legislation that made it the U.S. national anthem. A little bit of historical trivia.”

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