Exciting outdoor NHL hockey games are a unique experience, there have been 30 games in the history of the NHL as of February 2021. This article covers the top 10 exciting outdoor NHL Hockey games to watch again. Also a few honorable mentions too!
The 2020-2021 NHL season has officially reached the one month mark of the 56 game schedule. The NHL is not hosting an All-Star game this season due to COVID-19. Their national spotlight game, the Winter Classic, was cancelled due to starting the season on 1/13/21.
To try to get some normalcy in 2021 professional sports, the NHL will stage a modified outdoor game setting this Saturday (1/20/21) and Sunday (1/21/21) at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort in Lake Tahoe, California. Outdoor “pond” hockey will be the theme of the venue, with zero on-site spectators and four good teams taking center stage (Las Vegas vs. Colorado and Philadelphia vs. Boston). The temporary rink has been constructed in typical Winter Classic fashion via this time lapse video. It looks similar to the exhibition game shown in the movie “Mystery, Alaska.”
To get ready for the outdoor game atmosphere, here’s the top ten outdoor NHL games played to date in ascending order. Game setting, competitiveness, throwback uniforms and fan experience have been taken into account to determine this list.
Honorable Mention Exciting Outdoor NHL Hockey Games
These exciting outdoor NHL Hockey games didn’t make the top 10 list but are very much worth a relook.
The “Cold War” played on 10/6/01
- Michigan and Michigan State played to a 3-3 tie at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan
- 74,544 attendees filled the football stadium to 103% capacity
- Plenty of NHL talent played in this game (Duncan Keith, Ryan Miller, John-Michael Liles and Mike Cammalleri)
- A new hockey game setting concept was born and the NHL was busy taking notes about it
NHL Winter Classic played on 1/1/09
- Detroit Red Wings defeated Chicago Blackhawks 6-4 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois
- Smaller venue for fans using a baseball stadium (40,818 attendees)
- NHL now had a blueprint to utilize small and large seating venues for future games
Heritage Classic played on 2/20/11
- Calgary Flames defeated Montreal Canadiens 4-0 at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta
- Game played in frigid temperatures that dipped to -13 degrees F with the wind chill
- 41,002 attendees watched all of the players who looked like little kids with full smiles during the game
Stadium Series played on 3/3/18
- Washington Capitals defeated Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland
- First outdoor game held at a military academy (Navy), with future games being planned at Army and Air Force
- Capitals were starting to gel prior to their Stanley Cup winning playoff run in 2018
Winter Classic played on 1/1/19
- Boston Bruins defeated Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana
- 76,126 attendees watched the pomp and circumstance prior to puck drop similar to Notre Dame football games
- Now the NHL had historic college campuses as possible future venues
Stadium Series played on 2/15/20
- Los Angeles Kings defeated Colorado Avalanche 3-1 at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Second outdoor game to be held at a military campus (Air Force Academy)
- Beautiful setting at the base of the Rocky Mountains
- There were logistical traffic flow and parking issues the NHL didn’t plan for with many ticketed fans never getting into the game
- Last outdoor game played before the COVID-19 stoppage in March 2020
Top 10 Exciting Outdoor NHL Hockey Games Played
This listing of exciting outdoor NHL Hockey games are based on the competitiveness, fan base, outdoor settings and excitement generated during the game.
10. Stadium Series played on 1/25/14
- Anaheim Ducks defeated Los Angeles Kings 3-0 at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, California
- Pregame concerns of warm weather temperature affecting the temporary ice surface
- NBC showed the intermission concert of Kiss and all of their pyrotechnics
- Nice nod to Wayne Gretzky’s time as an LA King
- Numerous fans complained after this game due to horrible site lines when sitting in the lower sections of the stadium and high ticket prices
9. Stadium Series played on 3/1/14
- https://youtu.be/wVOs-JMRUMg
- Chicago Blackhawks defeated Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois
- First outdoor game that was truly a nighttime snow globe
- Shovels were used extensively on the ice during stoppages in play to remove accumulating snow
- Chicago fans were used to severe winter weather and enjoyed this entire game from start to finish
- Blackhawks jerseys were top notch by reversing red and black accent colors and the introduction of specialized goalie helmets for the outdoor games
8. Heritage Classic played on 10/26/19
- Winnipeg Jets defeated Calgary Flames 2-1 in OT at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan
- Early season game that had a playoff intensity atmosphere and pace of play
- Fans sold out a neutral site game held at a Canadian football stadium (33,518 attendees)
- NHL knew how to host successful outdoor games in the USA and Canada
7. Stadium Series played on 2/23/19
- https://youtu.be/34ANXvvCTA0
- Philadelphia Flyers defeated Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in OT at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Jerseys closely resembled two-tone football jerseys for fans to easily recognize player’s numbers from the upper deck of the stadium
- Flyers pulled the goalie for an extra attacker to tie the game with two goals in the final three minutes of regulation
- As rain drops began to fall, the Flyers won on a blistering slapshot from Claude Giroux
6. Winter Classic played on 1/1/15
- https://youtu.be/c7mju6iE2yg
- Washington Capitals defeated Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 at Nationals Park in Washington, DC
- Crystal clear and sunny afternoon caused game to be delayed an hour due to sun glare
- Most players were already wearing eye black to reduce sun glare and be able to see the puck and opposing players
- NBC highlighted panoramic views of the National Mall and the best site lines for fans being seats near the left field and right field foul poles in the upper deck
- Troy Bower scored a late rebound goal with 13 seconds remaining to win the game for the Capitals
5. Centennial Classic played on 1/1/17
- https://youtu.be/97rhhBxDjcs
- Toronto Maple Leafs defeated Detroit Wings 5-4 in OT at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario
- Rematch of the 2014 Winter Classic
- TV viewers introduction to the newest NHL talent with a lot of offensive skills, Auston Matthews
- Great start to the NHL’s 100 year anniversary
4. Heritage Classic played on 11/22/03
- https://youtu.be/KekbRd7N40I
- Montreal Canadiens defeated Edmonton Oilers 4-3 at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta
- First regular season NHL game played outdoors and a matchup of two powerhouses with a lot of hockey history
- Sub-frigid temperatures reached -22 degrees F that caused the Canadiens goalie (Jose Theodore) to wear a tuque over the top of his helmet to keep his head warm
- Memorable start to the outdoor game concept at the NHL level
3. Winter Classic played on 1/1/18
- https://youtu.be/XL5pVR8HkWc
- New York Rangers defeated Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in OT at Citi Field in New York City, New York
- Start of game delayed due to overcast skies and some glare off the temporary ice surface
- Teams were represented with a 50%/50% split of fans based on jerseys, hats and sweatshirts being worn
- Sports Illustrated had excellent photography of the fan experience before, during and after the game due to most fans traveling via subway
- J.T. Miller scored the game winner for the Rangers midway thru the overtime session
2. Winter Classic played on 1/1/14
- https://youtu.be/RFR81hAGdPk
- Toronto Maple Leafs defeated Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in a shootout after a scoreless OT session
- Game played at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan with 105,491 attendees
- NHL was still recovering from the strike shortened 2013 season and this game clearly showed the Winter Classic was officially back
- Top notch camerawork by NBC showed how this game had taken over the January 1st daytime sports slot instead of college football bowl games
1. Winter Classic played on 1/1/08
- https://youtu.be/S5o4s4r6vAw
- Pittsburgh Penguins defeated Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in a shootout after a scoreless OT session
- Game played at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York
- Typical east coast winter day with snow during tailgating activities in the parking lots, intermittent snow during the game and big snowflakes during the shootout portion
- TV coverage translated well due to audio and visual angles that hadn’t been used before in a venue that size
- Throwback uniforms for both teams were top notch and historically accurate
- Penguins were elevating their team play to Stanley Cup winning level
- Sabres had back to back Eastern Conference Finals appearances and this roster would be dismantled about three weeks after this game due to trading away pending free agents, and they haven’t recovered since
- Sidney Crosby snuck the puck through Ryan Miller’s legs to win the shootout, which was a preview of things to come in the 2010 Winter Olympics gold medal hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia
- There was skepticism that this type of venue and fan interest for the NHL would backfire badly
- At the conclusion of the shootout, the NHL had found their premiere event and time slot on the sports calendar
- The rest is hockey history
Historical Impact of Outdoor Games
Since the “Cold War” outdoor game was played in 2001, there have been approximately 30 exciting outdoor NHL hockey games held in the USA and Canada, and 39 NCAA Mens Division 1 outdoor games. The symmetry in that number (30-39) is on purpose, since most venues that host an outdoor NHL game end up using the temporary sheet of ice for 5-7 days, and host as many games as possible. This contributes to expanding the footprint and desire to play ice hockey. The college games are typically more affordable for families to attend with kids and leave with a lifetime of memories. Growing up in a youth hockey town (Colorado Springs, Colorado), it is rewarding to see how the NHL has taken steps and continues to think outside the box to get kids and adults interested in the fastest game on Earth.
Fan Experience at Stadium Series in 2016
I was fortunate to attend the Stadium Series game held on 2/16/16 at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. Detroit Red Wings defeated Colorado Avalanche 5-3, due to two goals in the final minute of regulation time. I applied all of my outdoor game “knowledge” and bought tickets next to the right field foul pole in the third deck. The site lines were surprisingly good and the entire game atmosphere was top notch.
Fan base in the stands was approximately 80% Avalanche fans and 20% Red Wings fans. The weather was an uncharacteristically warm 63 degrees F for the opening face-off. Only bad weather during the game was strong winds in the third period, which caused the artificial snow decorations to start blowing around the rink. Parking was easy, traffic was manageable and getting into and out of Coors Field was smooth. The only complaint was that all bathrooms had long lines during the entire game.
One interesting side note, there were numerous microphones placed around the rink to hear the players talking to each other during the course of action. That audio was piped throughout Coors Field for fans to listen, similar to radio play-by-play during a Colorado Rockies baseball game. The audio started with the opening face-off and lasted less than five minutes of game time due to the shear amount of f-bombs the players were saying on the ice. Attending that outdoor game definitely checked a box on my sporting events bucket list. I’d gladly attend another outdoor game in the future if possible. Enjoy the low scale games from Lake Tahoe this weekend.
Put the biscuit in the basket and keep it classy everyday!
