Utah all agog for 2027 NHL Winter Classic

Article posted by Coliseum, January 28^th, 2026

Image: NHL

Bill Armstrong has already planned his commute for the 2027 Discover National Hockey League (NHL) Winter Classic.

“The beauty is my house is like a two-minute walk to the stadium,” the NHL team Utah Mammoth General Manager said. “So, that morning I’m going to take my iPad, step outside and make the quick walk to the stadium. And my wife will probably have a big tailgate at our house.”

‘nhl.com’ stated that Utah, which is in its second season, has been awarded the 18^th NHL Winter Classic.

The NHL Winter Classic is an annual outdoor ice hockey game played during the National Hockey League’s (NHL) regular season on or around New Year’s Day. It is generally held in a football or baseball stadium in the United States in an area with a resident NHL team.

The 2027 Discover NHL Winter Classic will feature the Utah Mammoth hosting the Colorado Avalanche in a regular-season outdoor game at the 51,444-capacity Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, in January 2027.

‘nhl.com’ further stated that the offical announcement came at Rice-Eccles Stadium during a presser with the NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, Mammoth owners Ryan and Ashley Smith and Mammoth forward Logan Cooley.

The Mammoth will become the 32^nd NHL team to play in an outdoor game when they host the Colorado Avalanche at the Rice-Eccles Stadium on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

It will be the NHL’s 47^th outdoor game. The 44 played so far have a combined attendance of 2,276,221, an average of 51,732. A date for the game will be announced at a later time.

The next outdoor game will be the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins at the 75,000-capacity Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on February 1^st (6:30 pm ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS).

The Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens will play in the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at the 32,343-capacity Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on October 25^th, 2026.

Commented Clayton Keller, Utah Captain, “Super cool. I grew up watching the Winter Classic. I watched the 24/7 show on HBO. That was my favorite thing to watch. Now to be a part of that will be super special and a ton of fun.”

Armstrong said the Winter Classic announcement gives everyone who has been associated with the Mammoth, and before that the Arizona Coyotes, a chance “to reflect and be grateful for all the things that have happened to the franchise”.

For example, exactly two years ago current Mammoth players Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Dylan Guenther, Alex Kerfoot, Jack McBain, Liam O’Brien, Sean Durzi, Michael Carcone, Lawson Crouse, Logan Cooley, and Karel Vejmelka were playing for the Coyotes in front of 4,600 fans at the 4,600-capacity Mullett Arena on the campus of the Arizona State University losing 6-2 to the Winnipeg Jets.

Next season, they’ll play for the Mammoth in a stadium that seats more than 54,000 for college football.

“Well, it’s just the way we drew it up,” Armstrong said with a laugh.

He jokes, but the irony of it is Armstrong and Keller each said he envisioned Utah getting a chance to host big events like an outdoor game when the Smiths acquired the assets of the Coyotes on April 18^th, 2024.

At the time, remember, the NHL had not yet gone to South Florida to play a Winter Classic, as it did so successfully recently when the Florida Panthers played the New York Rangers with the roof open at the 36,742-capacity loanDepot park, the home of the Major League Baseball (MLB) team Miami Marlins.

So, moving to a colder climate with a major college football stadium in the market immediately provided an opportunity.

Added Keller, “There was so much going on that I didn’t really have time to think about it, but we knew there was definitely a chance.”

The immediate support from the fanbase, plus the buy-in and unwavering support from the Smiths, has allowed the franchise to build on the initial surge that pushed it when it first arrived in Utah.

The players see it with their amenities and how they’re treated. They feel it.

Continued Keller, “This is an unbelievable organization. The way they treat us, treat our families, I think they’re the best owners in the League. Our President, Chris Armstrong, has been unbelievable too. The things he’s done for me, like he came to my dad’s funeral with me. He didn’t have to do that. We flew three hours together. We were obviously close before, but now that’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life, him doing that. I told him that as well. Everything they do for us is unbelievable.

They really care about growing the game, being in the community, and doing all the little things to be successful, to be an organization that everyone is excited to be a part of.”

The opportunity to host a Winter Classic, the marquee event of every NHL regular season since 2008, is the reward for the team and the market.

Narrated Armstrong, “It’s the ability to have an elite practice facility, an elite home rink and now we’re going to add a Winter Classic. It’s a celebration of hockey in your State, your City and for your franchise. It draws a lot of attention to your franchise and I love that aspect of it because there’s a lot to be proud of. I think it’s going to draw focus to that.”

And when the day comes Armstrong envisions walking out of his house and down the block to Rice-Eccles Stadium with the thousands of fans who will be ready to ring in 2027 with the biggest hockey event to come to Salt Lake City since the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Concluded Armstrong, “The one thing Utah and the fans of the Mammoth do incredibly well is they show up and they show up in numbers. This is going to be a major event in Utah. It’s going to put us on the map. It’s exciting times. It’s going to be a great day.”

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