page_title: NHL outdoor games
section_title: Outdoor games by team
hierarchical_section_title: NHL outdoor games / Outdoor games by team
caption_attribution_description: IMG_7902
context_page_description: The National Hockey League first held a regular season outdoor ice hockey game in 2003, and since 2008 the league has scheduled at least one per year.
  The NHL primarily uses three brands for outdoor games: the Heritage Classic, Winter Classic, and Stadium Series. The Heritage Classic has been infrequently held five times, and has thus far featured match-ups between Canadian teams. The 2003 Heritage Classic between the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens was the first outdoor regular season game in NHL history. This led to the annual Winter Classic, held on New Year's Day in the United States, starting with the 2008 game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres. The NHL then started the Stadium Series in 2014 for additional outdoor games. The number of Stadium Series games has varied per season. Both the Winter Classic and the Stadium series featured match-ups solely between American teams until the Toronto Maple Leafs' appearances in both the 2014 Winter Classic and the 2018 Stadium Series.
context_section_description: Note: This table excludes exhibition games with non-NHL opponents (such as those in 1954 and 1956) and pre-season games (such as the one in 1991).
  (*) The Rangers have officially been designated as the away team for the three games held in New York City to comply with a property tax exemption for Madison Square Garden that requires the Rangers to play all of their home games at the arena.
  Italics indicate a future outdoor game.
caption: Skaters with the Chicago Blackhawks warming up prior to the 2015 Winter Classic. The Blackhawks have participated in six outdoor games.
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