This article was originally published in the Outdoors print issue of The Daily Utah Chronicle, originally in stands on September 23, 2024. It has not been updated and some information may be out of date.
The National Hockey League is one of the most storied and successful sports organizations in North America. With over a century of experience under its belt, the league has developed a culture of its own. With rich history, fierce competition and a brilliant fandom, it is no surprise that the league is as monumental as it is.
Considering the great heritage that surrounds the sport of hockey, both in Canada and the United States, the NHL has established an ingenious tradition that celebrates the roots of the game. That tradition? Outdoor hockey games.
In 2003, the NHL organized a new event, coined the “Heritage Classic.” Held at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, the Montreal Canadiens and the Edmonton Oilers faced off for the first-ever outdoor regular-season game.
The game, which resulted in a 4-3 win for the Montreal Canadiens, was headlined by its frigid temperatures. With a low of 22 below zero, the players had to endure conditions never seen before in a regular-season NHL game. Unbeknownst to the players, the game would pave the way for what would become a beloved tradition.
On New Year’s Day, 2008, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres took the ice for the inaugural Winter Classic. The spectacular event was not planned overnight, though. In fact, the idea of the Winter Classic was first introduced in 2004 by NBC but didn’t come to be until four years later.
The game became an instant classic, with its images engraved in the minds of hockey fans everywhere. With the picturesque snow falling, the teams wearing throwback uniforms, and a highly competitive matchup, the game oozed hockey heritage. Young Sidney Crosby’s memorable shootout-winning goal capped off the perfect day for the sport.
The success of the inaugural game in 2008 led to the establishment of the Winter Classic as an annual tradition. The following year’s game was held at the historic Wrigley Field in Chicago and produced stellar results too. Then, in 2010, the Winter Classic made its way to Fenway Park. The 2011 iteration of the event was delayed due to weather conditions. As a result, the game started the evening of New Year’s Day, making it the first and only Winter Classic to be played during the night.
While the 2003 Heritage Classic was a monumental step towards establishing the outdoor hockey tradition, it was not the first instance of outdoor NHL hockey. To find the first outdoor match, one has to look back to 1954. That year, the Detroit Red Wings traveled to the Marquette State Prison to take on a team composed of inmates.
The ’54 Red Wings starred the “Production Line,” considered to be one of the best lines in hockey history. To no surprise, they ultimately routed the prison team. After the first period, where Detroit scored 18 goals, the rest of the game was converted into a scrimmage, with some Red Wings players switching teams and playing with the prisoners. Detroit went on to win the Stanley Cup that spring, and the prison game made for an unusual start to the outdoor tradition.
The Red Wings participated in another significant outdoor NHL game in 2014. The meeting with the Toronto Maple Leafs marked the first time a Canadian team made a Winter Classic appearance. With more than 100,000 spectators, the game set the all-time NHL record for single-game attendance. Toronto won the game in a shootout, the second time a Winter Classic has ended in that fashion.
That same year, the NHL introduced the Stadium Series, the league’s third reoccurring outdoor event. The event expanded the possibilities for outdoor hockey, with its first game being played in the warm climate of Los Angeles. Since then, there have been 15 more Stadium Series match-ups, ranging across the nation from Santa Clara to Raleigh. Special alternate uniforms, usually with a modern twist, have become a highly anticipated tradition for the event.
In 2017, the NHL organized two outdoor games in celebration of the league’s centennial anniversary. Then, during the 2021 shortened season, a set of outdoor games were organized and played on the edge of Lake Tahoe. As a result, the scenic backdrop produced a beautiful atmosphere for the games.
In total, the NHL has hosted 40 additional outdoor games since the 2003 Heritage Classic. With the 2024 NHL season bringing a new team to Utah, the excitement surrounding hockey is at an all-time high. Naturally, the question of Utah participating in an outdoor game has risen, with some even speculating the possibility of hosting a game at Rice Eccles Stadium.
