While outdoor NHL games have been a tradition in the league for nearly 20 years, there are still plenty of locations the league should seek a Winter Classic or Stadium Series game at.
With winter well underway, hockey season is in full swing as fans prepare for another set of outdoor games with the NHL Winter Classic and Stadium Series.
Outside of a one-off Heritage Classic game in November 2003, the continuity of outdoor games in the NHL began on New Year’s Day 2008, when the Buffalo Sabres hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins at what was then Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.
In the years since that game, the league has developed three outdoor games that have been played with some level of continuity – the Winter Classic, which features a marquee matchup with elite and/or big-market teams, the Heritage Classic, a matchup between two Canadian teams, as well as the Stadium Series, which often features lesser-known rivalries.
In that time, many of America’s most beloved and storied stadiums have played host to at least one NHL outdoor game, from Fenway Park and Wrigley Field to Michigan Stadium and the Cotton Bowl.
The tradition has also become remarkably inclusive over the years – only the Utah Mammoth has never had a scheduled NHL outdoor game, and that mostly owes to the franchise being a mere two years old. The Florida Panthers will be playing their first-ever outdoor game this season as they host the New York Rangers at LoanDepot Park in Miami for the 2026 Winter Classic.
Though there’s no doubt that outdoor games in the NHL are a canonical part of the winter schedule and are here to stay, there are plenty of opportunities to increase the league’s audience while immersing fans in more of the country’s most iconic stadiums.
While it’d be impossible to complain about the outdoor games we’ve gotten so far in the past 18 years, here’s a look at three stadiums the NHL should be eyeing for its next set of Winter Classic and Stadium Series games.
1. Lambeau Field – Green Bay, Wisconsin
The NHL’s absence from Wisconsin has always been a conspicuous one to me, as the state has a rich tradition and history of ice hockey, highlighted by a historic program maintained at the University of Wisconsin.
Despite this, NHL fans in Wisconsin are left in a purgatory of some sort, as being a regional fan requires cheering for a city that also serves as the home for the biggest rivals of other Wisconsin teams.
While I’d certainly love to see an NHL team in Milwaukee, the league can capitalize on the sport’s popularity and significance in Wisconsin by planning a game at the state’s most famous venue – Lambeau Field.
The longest-tenured home stadium of any NFL team, Lambeau Field has long been known as one of American sports’ most recognizable stadiums – with snowy conditions and freezing temperatures serving as a yearly backdrop for late-season Green Bay Packers home games.
It’s hard to think of many stadiums more built to host an outdoor NHL game, with the novelty of another sport being played at The Frozen Tundra likely to pique fan interest in those who have no dog in the race when it comes to hockey.
While the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota Wild would be the most obvious teams to play in such a game, the matchup could also include the Toronto Maple Leafs or Winnipeg Jets in an effort to draw fans in from north of the border.
2. Oracle Park – San Francisco, California
Though the San Jose Sharks have already hosted an outdoor game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, home of the San Francisco 49ers, the picturesque home of the San Francisco Giants would serve as perhaps the ideal location for an outdoor NHL game on the west coast.
While San Francisco is certainly not a wintry city by any means, the league has previously handled outdoor games in Los Angeles and Dallas, with preparations underway for this year’s Winter Classic in Miami – making San Francisco a small task comparatively.
Lauded as one of MLB’s finest ballparks, Oracle Park seemingly offers it all – serene views of the San Francisco Bay beyond the outfield, unique design quirks throughout the playing surface and clear sightlines in just about any seat in the park.
The sight of palm trees on the horizon beyond left field may seem incredibly strange towering above an ice hockey rink on the Oracle Park playing surface, but at least to me, that only adds to the appeal.
The Sharks would of course be the home team in any outdoor game at Oracle Park, with plenty of options for a solid opponent. San Jose could double dip and host the Los Angeles Kings as they did in February 2015 in Santa Clara, with the Anaheim Ducks, Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken all also serving as potential opponents.
3. Autzen Stadium – Eugene, Oregon
This one is certainly the biggest stretch of the three suggestions, but it’s also hard to think of an equally good venue for a quintessential outdoor Pacific Northwest experience than what can be offered at the home of the Oregon Ducks.
Routinely hailed as one of the best places to take in a college football game, Autzen Stadium is nestled in a seemingly endless landscape of pine trees with a unique seating layout at least partially responsible for creating one of the loudest atmospheres in the NCAA.
Though Oregon is not home to an NHL team, it’s quite easy to see how energetic hockey fans can make themselves at home at Autzen Stadium, in a game that could both provide an incredibly unique experience for hockey fans while planting seeds for the sport throughout the state for a potential future team.
Though Autzen Stadium’s capacity of 54,000 (60,000 with standing room) puts it well below many other football stadiums to have hosted outdoor NHL games, it also has a higher capacity than nearly every MLB stadium, which should prevent that from being a concern.
While the Seattle Kraken seem to be the obvious home team in a game like this, possible opponents include the San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames or Edmonton Oilers.
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