The Utah Mammoth are the only team in the NHL that have never played an outdoor game — but that will change next year.
At a press conference at Rice-Eccles Stadium Wednesday afternoon, Mammoth owners Ryan and Ashley Smith and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced that RES would be the site of the 2027 Winter Classic, one of the league’s annual outdoor games.
Utah will face the Colorado Avalanche, who have already hosted two outdoor games and been the visitor in another. While it’s anything but a guaranteed win for the home team, this is a budding rivalry — and the close proximity will allow plenty of Avalanche fans to travel to the game.
The Winter Classic has a rich history, dating back to 2008 when Sidney Crosby scored in a shootout to give his Pittsburgh Penguins the win over the Buffalo Sabres. It has been held at some legendary stadiums, including Wrigley Field in Chicago and Fenway Park in Boston.
All 17 Winter Classics have sold out thus far, even at places like Michigan Stadium, which holds more than 105,000 people. Rice-Eccles Stadium has a seating capacity of more than 51,000. If you thought the 16,000 fans at the Delta Center made for a loud environment, just wait for this one.
Even with that many seats, Ryan Smith anticipates that the “biggest challenge” will be not having enough tickets to keep up with the demand.
This year, the Winter Classic was the first of two outdoor games in Florida. Even though the Florida Panthers lost 5-1 to the New York Rangers, all accounts indicate that it was a can’t-miss event. In addition to the game, the event included a live performance from Luis Fonsi.
New Utah Mammoth Winter Classic jerseys
Outdoor games almost always come with specialty jerseys, and this one is no exception.
“We generally have special jerseys — new jerseys — for the special events, the outdoor games," Bettman said. “They have not been designed because we just announced this. There’s a lot of work to be done, but we have plenty of time to do the planning.”
He praised the current jersey, which he said is “spectacular,” but he said they’ll have to “take that up a notch” with the Winter Classic design.
Mammoth fans have been asking for a powder-blue jersey since the franchise was born. That color scheme would go well with the winter theme.
Logistics of holding an NHL game outdoors
Weather
Ice refrigeration systems do much of the heavy lifting to keep any ice rink frozen, but the ambient temperature still has to cooperate. If next winter is as warm as this one, will the outdoor game be possible?
The answer is yes. They pulled it off in 65-degree weather in Miami, so Salt Lake City’s 45 degrees shouldn’t be a problem.
That being said, rain could cause the game to be postponed. Unlike LoanDepot Park, where this year’s game took place, Rice-Eccles Stadium does not have a retractable roof.
A number of outdoor games have been played at stadiums without retractable roofs, and the weather has almost always cooperated. They’ve rarely had to postpone outdoor games and they have yet to cancel one altogether.
The true test will be the Feb. 1 game featuring the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins. It will likewise be played in Florida, but this time at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, which does not have a retractable roof.
Per NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika, the league will build a 248x124x32-foot tent around the ice surface to keep it refrigerated and shielded from the elements until six hours before the game begins.
“The governor’s promised me that the weather will be perfect,” Bettman joked. “A light snowfall, 26 degrees would be perfect.”
Alcohol sales
The University of Utah does not allow the sale of alcohol on campus without approval from the school’s president. Alcohol sales are a major source of revenue for the NHL, so it’s important to the league that it be allowed at every game.
They are permitted at some special events, and this one is among them.
“We’ve worked for a couple years now, and we’re able to sell beer and seltzer for all private events,” said Collin Simmons, executive director of the University of Utah. “This is a private event. We don’t do it for Utah athletic events, but we do do it for private events. We’ve done it for multiple concerts over the last three years.”
How many Utah Mammoth players have participated in outdoor games?
The Arizona Coyotes never played in an outdoor game, so this will be a first for the players who had only played for the Coyotes. Some of the veterans, though, have experience in these environments.
- Olli Määttä: 2014 Stadium Series, Pittsburgh at Chicago
- Brandon Tanev: 2016 Heritage Classic, Edmonton at Winnipeg
- Ian Cole: 2017 Stadium Series, Philadelphia at Pittsburgh
- Ian Cole: 2020 Stadium Series, Los Angeles at Colorado
- Mikhail Sergachev: 2022 Stadium Series, Tampa Bay at Nashville
- Alexander Kerfoot: 2022 Heritage Classic, Buffalo at Toronto
- Brandon Tanev: 2024 Winter Classic, Vegas at Seattle
- Kailer Yamamoto: 2024 Winter Classic, Vegas at Seattle
- John Marino: 2024 Stadium Series, Philadelphia at New Jersey
Nate Schmidt was a healthy scratch in the 2015 Winter Classic featuring the Washington Capitals and the Chicago Blackhawks. He’ll have the long-awaited chance to play in his first outdoor game this time, barring extreme circumstances.
“For me, growing up, being on the outdoor rink, that’s some of the best memories that I have,” said Mammoth forward Logan Cooley. “As a little kid, I think you always watch the Winter Classic, especially around the holidays. You always imagine yourself out there, trying to be in this position.”
After the Mammoth’s Winter Classic, the list of teams that have never hosted an outdoor game will be cut back down to two: the Anaheim Ducks and the Montreal Canadiens.