[1] The event took place in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium in front of a crowd of 57,167, despite temperatures of close to −30 °C (−22 °F) with wind chill.

The CBC television broadcast drew 2.747 million viewers in Canada, the second-highest audience for a regular-season NHL game.

The Canadiens were represented by players from their 1970s dynasty, led by Guy Lafleur, and a few members of the 1986 and 1993 championship squads.

Mark Messier, the only active player at the time, received special permission from the New York Rangers front office to compete for Edmonton in the game.

The second game was an official NHL regular season contest between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens.