The Portage Peewee 3 hockey team is still smiling after getting the chance to attend the Heritage Classic Game in Winnipeg last weekend.

The Winnipeg Jets played the Edmonton Oilers on outdoor ice at IGF Field last Sunday, and Peewee 3 coach Michelle Hlady says her team got to go to the game through a Hockey Manitoba contest. Teams from each of the nine regions in the province were entered in a draw, and the Portage Peewee 3 squad were one of the lucky winners.

Hlady says it was an unforgettable experience for the kids.

"It was amazing," she says, noting they took part in all the pre-game festivities. "They were sharing everything from fries, to mini-donuts, to licorice. And even during that two-hour delay, there wasn't anybody who didn't have a big smile on their face."

While they didn't get the chance to meet any stars face-to-face, Hlady says a highlight for the kids was getting to learn some past greats of the game like Teemu Selanne, Dale Hawerchuk and Wayne Gretzky.

"Getting to know those hockey players for their parents' generation," Hlady says, "that was quite a time for them."

Hlady adds being able to watch a hockey game in a stadium was a special experience for everyone.