Publication date: 22 Aug 2022
About the NHL Winter Classic
The NHL Winter Classic is an NHL regular season game. It takes place annually in early January outdoors.
2026 NHL Winter Classic
The 2026 NHL Winter Classic promises to be an exciting event. It will attract the attention of not only hockey fans, but also sports show fans around the world. This year, the match will be held on January 2 at Loandepot Park in Miami, Florida – a place that, despite its warm weather, will become a unique arena for such a historic event.
Despite the warmth of the Florida climate, the atmosphere will be preserved thanks to artificially cooled ice surfaces and characteristic winter paraphernalia, which will give the game a real winter hockey atmosphere. Players will compete in the open air, which will add spectacle and unpredictability.
In addition to the game itself, fans can expect additional entertainment events – concerts, festivals and hockey shows that will take place on the day of the match, making it not only a sporting event, but also an important part of the cultural life of the city.
History of the games
The history of friendly games between hockey clubs began in 1991. Back then, the Los Angeles Kings and the New York Rangers played their first friendly outdoors.
After a while, NHL management decided to play one regular season game outdoors in early January. As part of the Winter Classic, the first game was played on 1 January 2008 between the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins. More than 70,000 fans attended that game.
One of the stadiums that host regular hockey games is the Michigan Stadium (also called The Big House). This stadium holds the world record for hockey game capacity with 104,173 spectators.
The 2023 match is known for the lowest temperature in the history of such matches. Because of the severe frost, the ice had to be specially heated. The match took place in Minneapolis (Minnesota, USA).
Results of the previous games
| The year | Venue | Results |
| 2025 | Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois | St. Louis Blues (6:2) Chicago Blackhawks |
| 2024 | T-Mobile Park, Seattle, Washington | Seattle Kraken (3:0) Vegas Golden Knight |
| 2023 | Fanway Park, Boston, Massachusetts | Pittsburgh Penguins (1:2) Boston Bruins |
2027 NHL Winter Classic
The 2027 NHL Winter Classic match will traditionally take place in January. The location and participating teams are currently unknown.
Keep an eye on the dates of the NHL Winter Classic and other events on our Sports Events Calendar.
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