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April 1, 2014

The NHL has yet to officially announce the venues and matchups for the 2015 Stadium Series, but The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database has learned that one of the sites will be Turner Field in Atlanta, and the two teams who once called Atlanta home will square off against one another -- the Calgary Flames and the Winnipeg Jets.

"Turner Field has had a rich, yet brief history, starting with the 1996 Olympics," says Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. "It's going to be torn down in a few years, so it's nice that one more memorable event will take place there before the wrecking ball levels the building."

What kind of a reception can the Jets expect to get from the fans that the team scorned? "I think fans will be more than understanding, and I expect that they'll welcome us back with open arms, even if it's for just one game."

Flames President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke echoed those sentiments. "Even though it's been more than three decades since the Flames left Atlanta, the Flames still have a strong following in that city. We're looking forward to returning there and giving Atlanta hockey fans one more chance to cheer on the Flames," Burke says.

Since the NHL started its outdoor game program with the Heritage Classic and the Winter Classic, every game has been a sellout. Is there a concern in Atlanta that there could be empty seats like what you might find at a Braves playoff game? "We have a contingency plan in place," says Cheveldayoff, whose Jets will be the designated home team. "First, we'll sell the lower bowl of Turner Field. If that sells out quickly, which I think it will, then they'll start offering tickets to the upper deck. We want it to look good on television."

As for the uniforms, the teams will wear the uniforms that they last wore in their respective Atlanta days. The Flames will wear the white version of their throwback uniforms, with the "C" crest substituted for the "A" crest they originally wore. The Jets, meanwhile, will dust off their remaining lot of unused Thrashers home jerseys and slap on the Stadium Series patch on the upper right chest. The left sleeve will still have ATLANTA displayed vertically. "We never want to forget our franchise's roots," says Cheveldayoff.

At this point, the only thing left to finalize before it's officially announced by the NHL is a date for the game. "We're thinking sometime in January or February, when it's freezing cold in both Calgary and Winnipeg," says Burke. "I know for a fact that it won't be held in April -- one would be a fool to schedule it for then, with the playoffs around the corner."