The league announced the game on September 16, 2021. Hamilton, Ontario, was chosen due to its location in the Golden Horseshoe midway between Buffalo and Toronto. This was Toronto's first Heritage Classic appearance, and Buffalo became the first U.S. team to both compete in and host a Heritage Classic.[1]
Country pop singer Lindsay Ell performed the Canadian and American national anthems and singer Alessia Cara performed during the first intermission. The Canadian Olympic women's ice hockey team, the gold medal winners at the 2022 Winter Olympics, were honoured during the second intermission.[3] This game marks the first time that the bilingual version of O Canada was sung at the Heritage Classic.