Q: Why are the Montreal Canadiens playing the Flames in Calgary in the Heritage Classic in February? Wouldn't the Edmonton Oilers and Flames make more sense? Then, if they had an alumni game, they could trot out the old Oilers and Flames sweaters. Who wouldn't want to see Peplinski, Messier, Gretzky and McDonald together in a picture?

(Shane Garford)

A: I'd rather see the old Battle of Alberta warriors, but the NHL is running this show, or TV is. They want a team from an east market against one from the west to get the largest demographic. Not sure why the Habs are the choice and not the Toronto Maple Leafs though. Montreal had its shot in 2003 against the Oilers in the frigid, first Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium and they're back again for Heritage Classic 2011. I suspect the Vancouver Canucks will be the Western Conference representative next year but the game will be back east if they're into a rotation. The Oilers, because they had their chance in '03, will have to bide their time. It certainly won't be back here until the other five teams have had their shot at being the game host.

Q: The deterioration of the once unrivalled ice at Rexall Place is a big disappointment, not to mention a contributor to some recent injuries. Is there any evidence that Northlands isn't interested in investing in a capital cost if the Oilers aren't going to be there long-term?

(Sam Brown)

A: The Northlands ice used to be the crown jewel of NHL rinks but that was years ago. Now there's snow buildup fairly quickly and players around the league have noticed. It's still one of better sheets but not the best, for sure. I don't know if Ryan Whitney and Jim Vandermeer's ankle injuries where they hit ruts can be blamed on the current ice. There's ruts in every sheet. It comes with the territory. Is Northlands holding back spending money to improve the ice-making plant because they know the Oilers are likely moving downtown within five years? I don't know. I would hope not. The problem at Rexall is it's always busy, not just with hockey. Concerts, rodeo, you name it. That has a bearing on the ice plant, too. All I know is it was nice to have ice that every NHLer dreamed of skating on. Not so much anymore.

Q: I know there are a lot of young teams in the league who are rebuilding but what is the average of the teams in the NHL today?

(Brian Ferguson).

A: The average age is 28.2, not as young as you might think. The two youngest teams are the Leafs and Oilers, in that order. Average height is 73.3 inches and average weight is 204 pounds. Two of the smallest teams, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings are among the best. One of the top five biggest, the Ottawa Senators is a long way from being a juggernaut. The Atlanta Thrashers are huge, six-foot-two and 211 pounds on average.

Q: This summer, why didn't the Oilers pursue Nikolai Zherdev with his connection to Tom Renney in the New York Rangers organization?

(Richard Yellowlees)

A: Probably because Renney wasn't a big fan. Guys with baggage, like Zherdev, are better served on stronger teams where you can hide them, like his current club, the Philadelphia Flyers. Zherdev has tons of talent but he's like Alex Kovalev. He doesn't, as they say, always bring it. When Zherdev is on, he can make players look silly trying to check him. When he's there in body, but not soul, he can drive a coach to ripping out chunks of hair. Peter Laviolette in Philly likes his talent but would he go to war with the guy? Maybe not.

Q: I was wondering if you think you might be doing the current Oilers a bit of a disservice by constantly comparing them to the team of the '80s? There's not a chance they could measure up to Gretzky and Co. It gets a little tiresome reading about Gretzky and Messier in all your columns.

(Nicolas Candon)

A: I do tend to turn back the clock maybe a little too readily. Then again, Gretzky and Messier actually won Cups, which makes for nice memories. I don't believe I've ever compared the current team or the '90s team to the Cup teams. As soon as another Oilers team carries the Cup around the ice, I will quit mentioning the old days. Until then, old habits die hard. I like the current team. It has lots of energy. Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle are terrific kids. They're fun to watch, as team, on a lot of nights.

- - -

You can e-mail any questions about the NHL, along with your full name to: jmatheson@edmontonjournal.com. Jim will answer a sampling of your queries in Journal Sports. Check out The Journal's website for an archive of previous questions and answers:

edmontonjournal.com/hockey