the NHL announced today that the University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium will host the 2027 Winter Classic, marking a rapid ascent for the Utah Mammoth as a major NHL market [[1]]. The game, scheduled against the Colorado Avalanche, signifies both a milestone for the league’s expansion and a testament to the swift success of the second-year franchise [[2]]. This event also holds significance as the planned venue for the opening ceremony of the 2034 Winter Olympics [[3]].
Utah’s football stadium may evoke memories of Alex Smith for some, but the state is poised to become a major player on the NHL calendar. The league announced today that the 2027 Winter Classic will be held in Utah, marking a significant milestone for the burgeoning hockey market.
“What you’re going to see,” said Mammoth owner Ryan Smith, “is a majestic mountain backdrop that you can’t un-see.”
Smith’s enthusiasm for bringing a major sporting event to Utah predates his acquisition of the team. “Even before we closed the deal on the team, I had seen the outdoor game. I said, ‘Even if you can’t give us a team, let’s do an event there. Let’s do the outdoor game.’”
He ultimately secured both. The 2027 Winter Classic represents a massive win for the Mammoth franchise, which is only in its second season in the NHL.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman lauded the rapid success of the franchise and its impact on the state. “The speed with which they have accomplished things is breathtaking,” Bettman stated. “You remember, we announced the (move from Arizona) in April (2024). It closed in June. They were up and running. September, the players were in for training camp. They managed to put together a temporary training facility. They then in the year built the training facility that you yourself quoted people as saying was spectacular. They designed it and built it in a year. They’ve retrofitted half of the arena and the fans have been engaged and connected in ways that are just spectacular. Everything they’ve done has exceeded our expectations, and our expectations were incredibly high to begin with.”
“It’s been less than two years since (Smith and wife Ashley) bought the team and they’ve turned it into a major NHL market. The response has been incredible from the fans and they’ve earned the right.”
Smith emphasized the broader significance of the event. “It’s not only a celebration on the game it’s also the celebration of a new beginning for an entire market,” he said. “It’s the 2034 Olympic opening ceremony venue.”
The rapid growth of hockey fandom in Utah has been particularly striking. “The amount of people I wouldn’t have believed are hockey fans, who have turned into hockey fans is something that I shouldn’t be surprised with at this point, but it’s unbelievable to me. I’m driving out of the arena at night. It’s 10:30 or 11 p.m., and I’m two blocks down and all I see are black Mammoth sweaters. Cooley and Sergachev and Keller and you can’t un-see it. It is different than anything I’ve ever been a part of. It’s just this wave that, whoa, two years ago, this didn’t exist.”
The date and time of the game are still to be determined, but will fall within the traditional Winter Classic window. Commissioner Bettman noted that sunlight will be a key consideration to ensure optimal playing conditions for both teams. Colorado will be the Mammoth’s opponent. While a matchup with Vegas was considered, the Golden Knights are expected to face Dallas in the Stars’ 2027 outdoor game.
“We don’t have an NFL team,” Ryan Smith added, “But it’s either the Raiders or the Broncos (on television in Utah). To have that natural rivalry come in…that’s what makes it even greater. I mean, we’ve got, I don’t know, six flights a day going into Denver. I hope they all come out, right? It’s not a far drive. Whoever was in charge of that was smart, because I think it’s gonna be, it’s going to be a really cool thing that I think a lot of people in two states look forward to.”
