Slovak/Czech
Back to Stadium Series Web
The very first hockey games were played in 19th century in Canada. Obviously, they were played outdoors. Frozen lakes, artificially built hockey rinks, freezing temperatures accompanied by heavy snowfall, hockey was as close to nature as possible. Although the first official games were played indoors, it took many years before the newly established sport became a staple in sports arenas. Throughout the years, the arenas became more complex, more modern. 125 years since the first hockey game, the game itself returned where it started – outdoors. Outdoor games have now become an annual tradition. Since 2001, more than 100 hockey games were played outdoors. Aside from teams from the NHL, many other, lesser known teams all around the globe have held outdoor games. The games were attended by tens of thousands, thousands or hundreds of fans, who, in a way, honored hockey´s history and its beauty by watching these games. The Colorado Avalanche will honor hockey´s heritage for the second time in their history by playing the Los Angeles Kings at the Falcon Stadium at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs in the 2019/20 season. On this occasion, the Eurolanche Fan Club and the editors at Eurolanche.com bring you an overview of the history of outdoor hockey games.
First stepsThe idea of an outdoor hockey game featuring NHL teams was presented several decades ago, but only as part of the preseason. The real breakthrough was achieved with the coming of the new millennium. The very first modern outdoor game was between two teams from the now-defunct Central Collegiate Hockey Association. On October 6, 2001, the gamebetween the Michigan State Spartans and the Michigan Wolverines was attended by 74,554 fans, which stood as an absolute record in attendance for a hockey game for several years after. In November 2003, the NHL introduced the Heritage Classic concept. Despite the temperature falling below -30 degrees Celsius, 57,167 fans attended the game between Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens. The tickets to the event were sought after worldwide. For the very first time in NHL history, the game counted as a regular-season game. The game was preceded by an Alumni Game, the game´s lineups being highlighted by the legendary Wayne Gretzky. Richard Zednik scored the game´s game winner for Montreal; Jose Theodore manned the winning side´s crease.
Heritage Classic 2003
The “outdoor experience” experiment continued during the 04/05 lockout, when Doug Gilmour and Steve Staios organized an exhibition game for ten thousand fans. Until 2008, two similar games were played – one was played under the head of the WCHA, the other was held in Switzerland as a celebration of the 100th game between the SCL Tigers and SC Bern.
The big boomThe positive reception of the Heritage Classic made the NHL make up a concept of outdoors games, which would feature multiple teams and would be played in regular intervals. It only took the league 5 years to introduce a concept unrivaled by any other sport. The achieved success influenced the whole hockey world – since January 1, 2008 until the start of the 2015/16 season, a total of 121 official outdoor games were played, which averages to a game per month during that time.
On January 1, 2008, the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins featured in the first Winter Classic game. Since then, the event was annually held on New Year´s Day, except for 2013, when the season was delayed by a lockout. The game featured matchups between the Red Wings and the Blackhawks, the Flyers and the Bruins, the Capitals and the Penguins, the Rangers and the Flyers, the Maple Leafs and the Red Wings, and the Blackhawks and the Capitals.
Winter Classic 2014
Between the first two Winter Classic games, no other outdoor hockey games were played anywhere in the world. It was the event´s success that made other teams from all around the globe wanting to organize similar games. In January 2010, the KHL All-Star Game between Team Yashin and Team Jagr was played in front of 25,000 fans. In the same year, Slovakia visited Switzerland to play an exhibition outdoor game against the hosts, while teams from Sweden and Hungary also played outdoors. The attendance in Sweden, exceeding the 30,000 mark, came closest to the trend established by the NHL.
In 2010, the outdoor hockey games trend reached more countries and leagues. American collegiate leagues began playing outdoors on a regular basis, while women´s hockey teams also started to play outdoors. Aside from lower and lesser known leagues, the concept found its way to Austria, where the league´s outdoor game attended by 30,000 fans established a record in league attendance. Outdoor games broke records on a regular basis. Record books had to be rewrote everywhere teams started to go back to their roots.
During the first days of 2011, fans in the Czech Republic, as well as those in Mexico had the opportunity to witness an outdoor game. The Czech fans had the chance to attend an outdoor game featuring the Czech top-tier league´s teams Pardubice and Brno, which was ultimately attended by 17,140 fans. 3,000 fans in Mexico came to watch Mexico´s junior team square off against their counterparts from Bulgaria as part of the D-3 Division World Junior Championship. The first outdoor games were played in Finland, while Sweden´s second-highest league also organized an outdoor game, which was attended by more than 17,000 fans. The Swedes also continued their tradition of holding an outdoor game between the country´s top-tier teams. In the end, it lasted 4 years.
The popularity grows2011 saw a large number of outdoor games, mostly because of the Whalers Hockey Fest, which organized five collegiate outdoor games during a single week, although attendance was fairly low. The following games between Whalers and Bruins alumni, as well as those from of Flames and Canadiens were considerably more attractive for fans. The “outdoor season” was highlighted by the second Heritage Classic, which was played for the first time since 2003. The Flames and the Canadiens played in the resurrected event.
Hockey´s 2012 started with the 5th annual Winter Classic between the Flyers and the Rangers. Several days later, the AHL got to play their first pair of outdoor games. The event was attended by more than 65,000 fans. The year´s outdoor game number grew thanks to several collegiate outdoor events. Within a week, college teams played a total of seven games, some of which had an attendance just under 40,000. Similar games were played Ontario, where the men´s and women´s games were attended by hundreds of fans. Despite the lower attendance, smaller communities like this continued to hold outdoor games. In February, two outdoor games were played in Finland. The first was played as part of the country´s top-tier league, the second saw Finland play Russia as part of the Euro Hockey Tour. The remainder of the year saw outdoor games played in Russia´s second-tier VHL, two games in Croatia as part of the multinational EBEL league and the traditional outdoor game in Sweden. Croatia entered the record books, as the game between Medvescak Zagreb and Olimpija Ljublana was held in an amphitheater. The game had an attendance of 7,130, which was the maximum capacity of the said amphitheater.
A romantic game at a Croatian amphitheater.
Because the start of the 2012/13 season was delayed by a lockout, the NHL didn´t hold an outdoor game for the first time since 2008. Other leagues had the opportunity to come out of the NHL´s shadow. The German league held its first outdoor game in 2013, with games also taking place in Slovenia (as part of the EBEL) and France, where the game was attended by 20,000 fans. Finland and Sweden also held outdoor events. The rest of the year was filled out by outdoor games organized by the AHL and other minor or collegiate leagues. The AHL organized a pair of games, with an exhibition game between Rochester Americans and Buffalo Sabres alumni also being played. The NCAA held their first series of outdoor games, while the end of the year saw the OHL hold two outdoor games, which were attended by more than 50,000 fans in total.
The big comeback2014 saw a decrease of outdoor games, but also saw the return of the NHL´s Winter Classic. The game between the Red Wings and the Maple Leafs was supposedly attended by exactly 105,491 fans, which would be a world record that would surpass the record from 2001. The official statistic, though, only listed 104,000 fans, which is still a NHL record. The league presented their third outdoor games concept called the NHL Stadium Series. The new project was designed for teams, which wanted to hold an outdoor game, but didn´t exactly fit in with the Heritage Classic or Winter Classic concept. The Stadium Series organized a total of 4 games, which were each attended by roughly 50,000 fans. Also, the Canucks and Senators played the third Heritage Classic game in March 2014, which brought the total for NHL outdoor games in 2014 up to six. Other games were again played in the Russian VHL, Finland, Switzerland, Slovenia (but this time played between local clubs), while the ECHL held its first outdoor game.
The decline in outdoor games continued in 2015, as only 11 were played worldwide. Three of them were played in the NHL – the Winter Classic and two Stadium Series games. It was at that time the speculations of an outdoor game featuring the Avalanche began, but the league ultimately chose to give the Avalanche an outdoor game during their 20th anniversary season. Aside from four minor and collegiate leagues in North America holding outdoor games, the VHL held its third outdoor event in row, while Austria and Germany (setting a world record for attendance of a European league with 51,125) also holding outdoor games. The QMJHL organized its first outdoor game.
Colorado finally got its turnFollowing their big return prior to 2015, outdoor games have been experiencing a massive rise in popularity ever since. In the 2015-16 season, the Colorado Avalanche, as well as Avs fans, finally got their turn. In February 2016, Coors Field, home of the MLB´s Colorado Rockies, hosted two games against the Detroit Red Wings. In front of 50,095 fans, the visitors won 3-5, but lost 5-2 in the Alumni game – the event´s most memorable moment – a day earlier. Eurolanche members were in the stands for both games, as a then record-setting number of 12 participants of Invasion VIII attended the 2016 NHL Stadium Series. In addition to the Avalanche – Red Wings games, Coors Field hosted the NCAA´s Denver Pioneers and Colorado College Tigers only several days prior, with a total of 35,144 attending fans setting a new NCAA attendance record.
2016 NHL Stadium Series in Denver
Germany also saw an old attendance record surpassed, as more than 30,000 fans came out to see an outdoor game between two teams from the country´s second-tier DEL 2. To conclude the record-setting hattrick, more than 20,000 fans attended an outdoor game between Sparta Prague and Kometa Brno, with Brno also hosting an outdoor game against Skoda Pilsen later on.
The 2015-16 season also brought an AHL outdoor game, the Winter Classic game between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens preceded by the first-ever women´s hockey outdoor game (the 2016 Women´s Outdoor Classic) at such an event and a second Stadium Series game between the Minnesota Wild and the Chicago Blackhawks.
During the 2016-17 hockey season, a total of 19 outdoor games were played in various league almost across the entire globe.
The 2016-17 saw the revival of the Heritage Classic concept after a two-year hiatus, with the Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers squaring off as part of the event. In addition, the season included a Winter Classic game between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks, as well as a Stadium Series game between two Pennsylvanian rivals – the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers. A record-setting number of outdoor games in a single NHL season also included the Centennial Classic between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the league.
The outdoor game tradition continued in both the German DEL and DEL 2. Interestingly enough, the DEL 2 game attracted more fans. After a year-long pause, the multinational EBEL league hosted two outdoor game, the same number as the top-tier Hungarian league, but all four games respectively failed to surpass the 5,000 attendees mark per game.
Other outdoor games included games played in the Finnish Liiga, the French Ligue Magnus (setting an attendance record with more than 25,000 fans), the AHL, four NCAA outdoor games and, for the first time ever, an outdoor game in the Norwegian Get Ligaen between Stjernen Hockey and Sparta Warrios in front of 12,500 fans.
A return to Colorado after four yearsBetween 2017 and 2020, the number of played outdoor hockey games slightly decreased, but still had solid momentum, surpassing several milestones – the KHL held its first regular season outdoor game which set an attendance record with 17,645 fans; the very first outdoor game between an OHL and QMJHL team; the first World Juniors outdoor game between Canada and the United States; Latvia hosted its first ever outdoor game as part of the KHL regular seasons and the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames played the first-ever outdoor game outside an NHL market at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan.
From all other outdoor games, we´d like to point out two outdoor games in the Finnish Liiga and the QMJHL, one outdoor game in the AHL, KHL, DEL and, for the very first time, in the Slovak Extraliga between HC Banska Bystrica and HKM Zvolen.
In February 2020, the Stadium Series will make its return back to Colorado, as the Colorado Avalanche will host the Los Angeles Kings as part of the 2020 Stadium Series at Falcon Stadium on the campus of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. The game will be the first within the framework of the partnership between the NHL and military academies.
The 2020 Winter Classic was played between the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators, two teams that hadn´t previously played in an outdoor game. As of 2020, only the Arizona Coyotes, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights are yet to play an outdoor game.
Countries, where an outdoor game was played:USA, Canada, Switzerland, Russia, Hungary, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Czech Republic, Mexico, Croatia, Slovenia, Germany, France, Norway and Latvia
An overview of every NHL outdoor game
November 22, 2003 - Heritage Classic
Venue: Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta
Edmonton Oilers - Montreal Canadiens 4:3
Game-winning goal: Richard Zednik
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: /
Players, who later joined the Avs: Patrice Brisebois 0+2, Jose Theodore 34/37, Ryan Smyth 0+0
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 57 167
January 1, 2008 - Winter Classic
Venue: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Buffalo Sabres - Pittsburgh Penguins 1:2 SO
Game-winning goal: Sidney Crosby
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: Jocelyn Thibault (backup goalie, did not play)
Players, who later joined the Avs: /
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 71 217
January 1, 2009 - Winter Classic
Venue: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
Chicago Blackhawks - Detroit Red Wings 4:6
Game-winning goal: Brian Rafalski
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: /
Players, who later joined the Avs: Brad Stuart 0+0
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Former Avs players: **
Attendance: 40 818
January 1, 2010 - Winter Classic
Venue: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
Boston Bruins - Philadelphia Flyers 2:1 OT
Game-winning goal: Marco Sturm
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: Ian Laperriere 0+0, Johnny Boychuk 0+0, Derek Morris 0+1
Players, who later joined the Avs: Daniel Briere 0+0, Matt Hunwick 0+0
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 38 112
January 1, 2011 - Winter Classic
Venue: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Penguins - Washington Capitals 1:3
Game-winning goal: Eric Fehr
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: Scott Hannan 0+0, Matt Hendricks 0+0
Players, who later joined the Avs: Semyon Varlamov 32/33, Maxime Talbot 0+0
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 68 111
February 20, 2011 - Heritage Classic
Venue: McMahon Stadium, Calgary, Alberta
Calgary Flames - Montreal Canadiens 4:0
Game-winning goal: Rene Bourque
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: Alex Tanguay 1+1
Players, who later joined the Avs: Cory Sarich 0+1, Jarome Iginla 0+1, Rene Bourque 2+0, Alex Tanguay 1+1 (re-joined with Avs)
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 41 022
January 1, 2012 - Winter Classic
Venue: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Flyers - New York Rangers 2:3
Game-winning goal: Brad Richards
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: /
Players, who later joined the Avs: John Mitchell 0+2, Maxime Talbot 0+1, Daniel Briere 0+0
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 46 967
January 1, 2014 - Winter Classic
Venue: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Detroit Red Wings - Toronto Maple Leafs 2:3 SO
Game-winning goal: Tyler Bozak
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: Jay McClement 0+0, Kyle Quincey 0+0
Players, who later joined the Avs: Jonathan Bernier 41/43 (and see below)
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: Nazem Kadri 0+0
Attendance: <104 000
January 25, 2014 - NHL Stadium Series
Venue: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles Kings - Anaheim Ducks 0:3
Game-winning goal: Corey Perry
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: Teemu Selanne 0+1, Daniel Winnik 0+0
Players, who later joined the Avs: Francois Beauchemin 0+0
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 54 099
January 26, 2014 - NHL Stadium Series
Venue: Yankee Stadium, New York, New York
New Jersey Devils - New York Rangers 3:7
Game-winning goal: Mats Zuccarello
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: /
Players, who later joined the Avs: Derick Brassard 0+2, Eric Gelinas 0+0
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 50 105
January 29, 2014 - NHL Stadium Series
Venue: Yankee Stadium, New York, New York
New York Islanders - New York Rangers 1:2
Game-winning goal: Daniel Carcillo
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: /
Players, who later joined the Avs: Derick Brassard (0+1)
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 50 027
March 1, 2014 - Heritage Classic
Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
Chicago Blackhawks - Pittsburgh Penguins 5:1
Game-winning goal: Jonathan Toews
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: /
Players, who later joined the Avs: Ben Smith 0+0
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 62 921
March 2, 2014 - Heritage Classic
Venue: BC Place, Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver Canucks - Ottawa Senators 2:4
Game-winning goal: Cody Ceci
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: Craig Anderson 29/31, Brad Richardson 0+0
Players, who later joined the Avs: Patrick Wiercioch 0+0
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 54 194
January 1, 2015 - Winter Classic
Venue: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
Washington Capitals - Chicago Blackhawks 3:2
Game-winning goal: Troy Brouwer
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: /
Players, who later joined the Avs: Ben Smith 0+0
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 42 832
February 21, 2015 - NHL Stadium Series
Venue: Levi´s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
San Jose Sharks - Los Angeles Kings 1:2
Game-winning goal: Marian Gaborik
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: Scott Hannan 0+0
Players, who later joined the Avs: (see below)
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: Matt Nieto 0+0
Attendance: 70 025
January 1, 2016 - Winter Classic
Venue: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Boston Bruins - Montreal Canadiens 1:5
Game-winning goal: Paul Byron
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: Tomas Fleischmann 0+0, Maxime Talbot 0+0
Players, who later joined the Avs: (see below)
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: Mark Barberio 0+1
Attendance: 67 246
February 21, 2016 - Stadium Series
Venue: TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota Wild - Chicago Blackhawks 6:1
Game-winning goal: Thomas Vanek
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: /
Players, who later joined the Avs: /
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 50 426
February 27, 2016 - Stadium Series
Venue: Coors Field, Denver, Colorado
Colorado Avalanche - Detroit Red Wings 3:5
Game-winning goal: Brad Richards
Players, who played in this game for the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: Erik Johnson, Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog
Attendance: 50 095
October 23, 2016 - Heritage Classic
Venue: Investors Group Field, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Winnipeg Jets - Edmonton Oilers 0:3
Game-winning goal: Mark Letestu
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: /
Players, who later joined the Avs: /
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 33 240
January 1, 2017 - NHL Centennial Classic
Venue: BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario
Toronto Maple Leafs - Detroit Red Wings 5:4 OT
Game-winning goal: Auston Matthews
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: Matt Hunwick 0+0
Players, who later joined the Avs: (see below)
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: Nazem Kadri 0+0
Attendance: 40 148
January 2, 2017 - Winter Classic
Venue: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis Blues - Chicago Blackhawks 4:1
Game-winning goal: Vladimir Tarasenko
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: Kevin Shattenkirk 0+0, Paul Stastny 0+0
Players, who later joined the Avs: /
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 46 556
February 25, 2017 – Stadium Series
Venue: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Penguins - Philadelphia Flyers 4:2
Game-winning goal: Matt Cullen
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: Cameron Gaunce 0+0
Players, who later joined the Avs: (see below)
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: Pierre-Edouard Bellemare 0+0, Ian Cole 0+0
Attendance: 67 318
December 16, 2017 - NHL 100 Classic
Venue: TD Place Stadium, Ottawa, Ontario
Montreal Canadiens - Ottawa Senators 0:3
Game-winning goal: Jean-Gabriel Pageau
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: Matt Duchene 0+0, Craig Anderson 28/28
Players, who later joined the Avs: Derick Brassard 0+0
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 33 959
January 1, 2018 - Winter Classic
Venue: Citi Field, New York, New York
Buffalo Sabres - New York Rangers 2:3 OT
Game-winning goal: J.T. Miller
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: Paul Carey 1+0, Kevin Shattenkirk 0+1, Nick Holden 0+0, Ryan O´Reilly 0+1
Players, who later joined the Avs: /
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 41 821
March 3, 2018 - Stadium Series
Venue: Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Maryland
Washington Capitals - Toronto Maple Leafs 5:2
Game-winning goal: Nicklas Backstrom
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: /
Players, who later joined the Avs: (see below)
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: Nazem Kadri 1+0, Andre Burakovsky 0+0, Philipp Grubauer (backup goalie, did not play)
Attendance: 29 516
January 1, 2019 - Winter Classic
Venue: Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, Indiana
Chicago Blackhawks - Boston Bruins 2:4
Game-winning goal: Sean Kuraly
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: /
Players, who later joined the Avs: /
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 33 959
February 23, 2019 - Stadium Series
Venue: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Flyers - Pittsburgh Penguins 4:3 OT
Game-winning goal: Claude Giroux
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: /
Players, who later joined the Avs: /
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 69 620
October 26, 2019 - Heritage Classic
Venue: Mosaic Stadium, Regina, Saskatchewan
Winnipeg Jets - Calgary Flames 2:1 OT
Game-winning goal: Bryan Little
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: Gabriel Bourque 0+0
Players, who later joined the Avs: /
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 33 518
January 1, 2020 - Winter Classic
Venue: Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, Texas
Dallas Stars - Nashville Predators 4:2
Game-winning goal: Alexander Radulov
Players, who played for the Avs before the game: Rocco Grimaldi 0+0, Matt Duchene 1+1, Blake Comeau 1+0
Players, who later joined the Avs: /
Players, who has joined the Avs and are scheduled to play at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series: /
Attendance: 85 630
*players, who came to Colorado after the game
**player, who´s currently in Colorado
10 most-attended hockey games in history
1. 104 173 - Michigan Wolverines vs. Michigan State Spartans in 2010
2. <104 173 - Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs in 2014
3. 85 630 - Dallas Stars vs. Nashville Predators in 2020
4. 77 803 - Germany vs. USA in 2010
5. 74 554 - Michigan State Spartans vs. Michigan Wolverines in 2001
6. 71 381 - Russia vs. Finland in 2018 (Euro Hockey Tour)
7. 71 217 - Buffalo Sabres vs. Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008
8. 70 205 - San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings in 2015
9. 68 111 - Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals in 2011
10. 67 877 - Russia vs. Finland in 2019 (Euro Hockey Tour)
*Photography sources: oilers.nhl.com, mirror.co.uk, thehistoryblog.com, thepinkpuck.com, Eurolanche
