Overview
- ⏱️2 hours 30 minutesApproximate duration
- 🏟️Medium sizedVenue capacity is 36,000
- ❤️🔥Popular eventCurrently trending with fans
The NHL Winter Classic is an annual regular season outdoor ice hockey game played in the National Hockey League (NHL) on or around New Year's Day, generally in a football or baseball stadium in an area with a resident NHL team.
The first Winter Classic was held in 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium (now Highmark Stadium) in Orchard Park, New York, between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Winter Classic is distinct from the league's other 2 outdoor games, the NHL Heritage Classic (played in Canada) and the NHL Stadium Series (played in the United States). Along with the NHL All-Star Game, the Winter Classic is considered one of the league's premier events, and - as the teams are generally booked to showcase the league's most popular players and the stadiums have higher capacities than rinks – the event garners the league its highest annual attendance and often its highest television ratings.




