2027 NHL Winter Classic — Salt Lake City
Avalanche vs. Mammoth, outdoors on New Year's Eve — Utah's first outdoor NHL game.
The Winter Classic breaks tradition twice in 2027: it moves to New Year's Eve, and it goes somewhere hockey outdoors has never been — Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, where the Utah Mammoth host the Colorado Avalanche in the state's first outdoor NHL game, on the site of the 2002 Olympic ceremonies.
✨ Why this one's worth the trip
- ›First-ever outdoor NHL game in Utah, with a genuine mountain backdrop — this will be one of the most photographed Winter Classics yet.
- ›A New Year's Eve puck drop means the game IS your NYE plans — and Salt Lake City is 40 minutes from world-class skiing at Alta, Snowbird and Park City.
- ›A young rivalry with real juice: the Mammoth's first marquee event against the division heavyweight next door.
🎪 The scene
Expect the full Winter Classic production — vintage uniforms, the outdoor rink build, alumni skates — plus whatever Utah adds for a New Year's Eve edition on an Olympic site.
December in Salt Lake City is proper winter: pack for sub-freezing temperatures in an open stadium, and check the roads if you're driving down from the canyons after a ski day.
🧭 Planning it
- ›Make it a ski-and-hockey trip — the Cottonwood Canyons are ~40 minutes from downtown, and New Year's week is peak season, so book lodging early.
- ›Rice-Eccles is on the University of Utah campus with a TRAX light-rail stop (Stadium station) straight from downtown.
- ›The Jazz are home at the Delta Center that week most seasons — check the schedule to stack an indoor game the night before.
Make a bigger trip of it
Details reflect official announcements at time of writing — verify times and schedules with the event before booking.