NHL · Stanley Cup · published 2026-10-04T00:00:00+00:00 · via The Hockey Beast

NHL Outdoor Games Ranked by Attendance

Through the end of the 2025-26 season, the league has held 45 outdoor contests. The largest attendance was 105,491 at Michigan Stadium on Jan. 1, 2014, when Toronto beat Detroit in a shootout. Two Lake Tahoe games in February 2021 had no spectators due to COVID-19, and the 43 games with fans have drawn 2,340,838 people combined.

Expanded Detail

The NHL’s outdoor slate began with Edmonton’s Heritage Classic in 2003. By the close of 2025-26, 45 such contests had been staged. Michigan Stadium’s 105,491 crowd for Toronto-Detroit on Jan. 1, 2014 remains the record. The next largest, 94,751 at Ohio Stadium in March 2025, was 10,740 smaller.

Two February 2021 Lake Tahoe games were spectator-free because of COVID-19. The other 43 outdoor games together attracted 2,340,838 fans, averaging 54,438. Only eight of the 45 exceeded 70,000.

Context

Large outdoor NHL games may bring visibility and spending to host cities, affecting local businesses, workers, and tourism. They could also introduce hockey to casual fans who might not attend indoor arenas. Record crowds may encourage the league to pursue more stadium-scale events, potentially shaping future host selections, ticket demand, and community excitement. At the same time, such events could strain local services or price out some residents, depending on how they are managed.

Expanded detail and Context are AI-generated analysis; the linked article remains the authoritative source.

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This summary is Al-enhanced to contain extended analysis and broader social context. The original is {NAME); the linked article is the authoritative source. Original headline: “Every NHL outdoor game ever played, ranked by the size of the crowd.” Browse more stories.