Upcoming Stadium Series games will be the 14th and 15th editions and will be held on February 17th and 18th at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The Philadelphia Flyers, who sit in the middle of four rival teams in the Metropolitan Division, will visit the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, followed by the Battle of New York as the Rangers visit the Islanders on Sunday.
This year, the Flyers and Rangers are his third participation in the Stadium Series, and the Devils and Islanders are his second.
Considering these outdoor games draw an estimated 80,000 fans over the weekend, we thought it might be fun to take a look back at the best games from the Stadium Series.
Top 5 NHL Stadium Series Games of All Time
5. Los Angeles Kings vs. San Jose Sharks – Levi Stadium (2015)
When casual fans think of ice hockey, they never think of outdoor games. Dew. I’m here to watch a game in California.
But San Francisco is known for its freezing winds. Although relatively warm year-round, it can get cold in the Bay Area, the site of the 2015 Stadium Series contest between the San Jose Sharks (home team) and the Los Angeles Kings (visiting team).
In this exciting game played in front of a record-breaking 70,205 fans at Levi Stadium, the Kings won 2-1 on a goal from Marian Gaborik in the third period, and Los Angeles moved into the standings. They surpassed San Jose and advanced to the finals. Earn a wild card spot. As of 2024, this is one of only four away games decided by one goal.
4. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers – Lincoln Financial Field (2019)
As of 2019, the Pittsburgh Penguins played in an interstate matchup against the Flyers at Heinze Field in 2017. He appeared in three games in the Stadium Series, including the game. In the first meeting between the two Pennsylvania teams, the hometown Penguins won 4-2, leaving the Flyers looking for revenge in a rematch in 2019.
At a packed Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia held on for a narrow home game with a 4-3 overtime victory, tying them with one win apiece against their personal rival, the Penguins, in the Stadium Series.
Interestingly, Pittsburgh never trailed at any point in the game, building a 3-1 lead and forcing the Flyers to tie it in the final seconds. In the end, Claude Giroux scored the winning goal just 1 minute 59 seconds into overtime.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Nashville Predators – Nissan Stadium (2022)
The Tampa Bay Lightning were spoilers in the 2022 Stadium Series game, defeating the local Nashville Predators 3-2 at Nissan Field. I broke it. Captain and .500 point scorer Steven Stamkos scored the winning goal at 11:31 of the third period, becoming the only player in the tournament not to participate in the power play.
After the Predators took the lead, they gave up three consecutive points against the Lightning and won by one point. Each team had a two- to four-man advantage, but Stamkos was involved in every goal for Tampa Bay.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Chicago Blackhawks – Solder Field (2014)
Historic Soldier Field, built in 1924 for the 2014 Stadium Series game between the Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks Neither team was there when they faced off in an outdoor game with national attention and both franchises unknown to the NHL already participating in the Winter Classic.
However, the Blackhawks became the first reigning Stanley Cup Champions to play outdoors in the Stadium Series, quickly defeating the Penguins with a 5-1 victory. During the tournament, Chicago captain Jonathan Toews became the second player in tournament history to score two goals, joining Mats Zuccarello.
1. New Jersey Devils vs. New York Yankees – Yankee Stadium (2014)
The Rangers beat the Devils 7-3 in the historic Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, on January 26, 2014, in the second-ever Stadium Series game.
After trailing 2-3 at the end of the first period, they scored a (at the time) away record four goals in the second period, and another in the third period to secure the victory. The Rangers’ seven goals that day remain an NHL record for an outdoor game.
New York’s Zuccarello won the First Star Award with two goals, and New Jersey’s Patrik Elias won the Second Star Award with two goals. Additionally, at 10:06 of the third period, Derek Stepan converted the first penalty kick in the history of outdoor games, resulting in the winning goal of the game.
