How to make NHL outdoor games cool again

The NHL recently held the annual Winter Classic in Minnesota, and is gearing up for three more in Nashville, Hamilton, and Raleigh. And while the spectacle of a big stadium being filled for hockey is cool, the NHL's Lake Tahoe experiment during the 2020-2021 season was a different level of cool. Yes, it saw mixed results. Did it look great on TV? Absolutely. It also caused some rough ice conditions when the sun turned the surface to slush and caused an eight-hour delay that pushed the game past midnight on the East Coast.

Regardless, the setting is undeniably cool and offers a more intimate and unique spectacle than that of a larger stadium. Events like this could find their way into the annual calendar, Although some more consideration toward the weather will have to be taken into account if they were to do this type of event in the future, here are some places the NHL should consider holding future outdoor contests.

1. Parliament Hill (Ottawa)

The Rideau Canal tends to be the preferred venue in Ottawa when people bring up unique places to play an outdoor game. And while I agree it would be an awesome visual, you just can’t guarantee the proper ice conditions needed to play an NHL game on the canal. So we’ve gone with a safer, and still visually stunning option in the nations capital with Parliament Hill. It played host to an the NHL Alumni Game back in 2017 between the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators as part of the NHL Heritage Classic and CANADA 150 celebrations, and it looked awesome.

2. Nathan Phillips Square (Toronto)

This one tends to fall under the radar, but offers a unique, more urban backdrop than other choices on this list. While the NHL may want to consider non-stadium venues for future outdoor games, that doesn’t mean they need to exclude urban areas. The Toronto Maple Leafs have held many outdoor practices at the iconic downtown rink and who could blame them. You have the iconic Toronto sign and city hall in the background, as well as the arches over the top of the rink. This is more of a sleeper pick but would offer something a little different than other outdoor venues.

3. Central Park (New York City)

This one is similar to Nathan Phillips square. With this scenario, the NHL goes to the bright lights of New York City and Central Park. Although the scenery won’t quite be the same as snow-capped mountains, the iconic skyline of the city that never sleeps would also make for a very unique look and feel for hockey. Not to mention, three teams play very close to New York City in the Rangers, Islanders, and Devils meaning any combination of those three teams will make for a great matchup. There are two rinks in Central Park already (the Lasker and Wollman rinks), it is likely the league would need to make some modifications as both rinks are too small for an NHL game and would need to expand in size, While it would require some extensive planning, bringing the NHL Outdoors to The Big Apple would be a sight to behold.

4. Lake Louise (Banff, Alberta)

Lake Louise is highly regarded as a popular location for skiing during the winter months, and for good reason. The views of the Rocky Mountain range and the numerous pine trees are absolutely breathtaking, especially when covered in snow. Considering the location, the NHL should very much consider bringing an outdoor game here not just for the spectacular views it would offer, but for the sheer fact that they have a ready made matchup in the battle of Alberta between the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers.

5. National Mall (Washington, D.C)

There was talk of this back before the Washington Capitals hosted the 2014 Winter Classic at Nationals Park, and this is where the NHL would really have to do some clever thinking. It’s a massive, open space it would probably offer you the largest actual attendance of all the venues on this list. Tell me you wouldn’t maximize the national television audience by putting a hockey rink in the middle of the mall in the shadow of the United States Capitol and Washington Monument? Of course you would. It would be one of the coolest events ever held on the Mall and would offer such a different type of scenery compared to any urban or rural choice on this list.

6. Lake Placid (New York)

If there’s any place that holds its place in USA hockey lore, and hockey lore as a whole, it’s Lake Placid. Home of the 1980 Olympic Winter Games, this is the place that saw the improbable run of the 1980 US mens hockey team that upset the U.S.S.R and won the gold medal. Since them, its become hotspot for skiing and hockey tournaments, and there are several skating rinks, both natural and man-made, in the area. Add the scenic view of the Adirondack Mountains, and the city can play host to a great game of NHL hockey.

As a result of the NHL Outdoors games, it is very possible the league does more of these in the future. Considering the wide variety of climates in North America, there are several possibilities for the NHL to play outdoor games in the elements. While it may not offer the massive gate-revenue of a football stadium, it's an undeniably unique concept that makes for great television. Whether they do this event again is to be determined, but these are several fine possibilities for if hockey returns to this setting.