The Oakland Raiders, in association with On Ice Entertainment Ltd., announced that they will host the Green Bay Packers in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada for a preseason Week 3 game on Thursday, Aug. 22 this season. The game will be played at IG Field and will be the Raiders’ first-ever game in Canada.
The game itself will be the first in Canada since 2013, and the Raiders will become the first team in NFL history to play games in three different countries in one season as they will also be playing a regular season game in London against the Chicago Bears.
On Ice Entertainment president John Graham expressed his excitement and gratitude for the Raiders for choosing Winnipeg and IG Field for the game.
“I want to especially thank the Oakland Raiders for the opportunity and their trust as well as the Green Bay Packers and the NFL,” said John Graham, President of On Ice Entertainment. “IG Field is the home of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and this event could not be staged without the great assistance and support of Wade Miller (President & CEO, Winnipeg Blue Bombers), his entire staff and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. We also want to acknowledge and thank the cites of Edmonton and Regina for their time and efforts during this process.”
Per the press release, tickets will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, June 8 at 8 a.m. PT. Ticket prices range from $75 to $340 CDN (plus taxes and fees).
The game will be broadcast via the Raiders television network, including KTVU/FOX-2 in the Bay Area and KVVU/FOX-5 in Las Vegas. The game will be televised nationally in Canada on TSN and RDS.
Whether or not the Raiders starters will be playing in the game remains to be seen. Head coach Jon Gruden has hinted in recent weeks that veterans like Antonio Brown may not play at all in the preseason.
