Outdoor games are an exciting tradition in the NHL. In just a few days, we will have the 2025 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. In March, we will have the latest edition of the Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium. Outdoor games are a celebration of hockey and fans eagerly await them each season. In the spirit of celebrating hockey, we would like to propose an idea for the Stadium Series for the 2027-28 season.
2027-28 Stadium Series: Celebrating Expansion
The 2027-28 season will be the 60th anniversary of the NHL’s first expansion class. After the success of the NHL’s “Original Six,” the owners felt it was time to expand and profit off of more teams. Six new teams joined the NHL: the California Seals, the Los Angeles Kings, the Minnesota North Stars, the Philadelphia Flyers, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the St. Louis Blues.
Of the six expansion teams, the Kings, Flyers, Penguins, and Blues are still active in their original cities. The North Stars relocated to Dallas in 1993. Lastly, the Seals relocated to Cleveland in 1976 and became the Barons. In 1978, the franchise merged with the North Stars, keeping the North Stars name and likeness. As a result, the Seals are the only 1967 expansion franchise to no longer exist either in its original form or as a relocated team. However, the San Jose Sharks, established in 1991, were brought to San Jose by the former owners of the Seals. This does connect the Seals to a current NHL franchise.
In honour of the 60th anniversary of the expansion class, it would fitting to have these teams participate in the Stadium Series. We are choosing the Stadium Series over the Winter Classic due to needing more than one game. Also, as a result of their connection to the Seals, we are going to suggest the Sharks participate in this proposed series.
Stadium Series Game #1
Teams: St. Louis Blues vs. Dallas Stars
Location: Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri
We are proposing the Blues be a host team as a result of them being the first team from the 1967 expansion class to reach the Stanley Cup Final. Furthermore, they reached the Final in each of their first three seasons.
Busch Stadium, home of Major League Baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals, is the only suitable outdoor venue for a game in St. Louis. The stadium hosted the 2017 Winter Classic, which was a success.
The Blues and Stars have been rivals since their first season. In the 1968 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Blues defeated the North Stars to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. The teams have met many more times in the playoffs, the latest coming in 2019.
This would be a fitting matchup that celebrates the history of both teams entrance into the league and their history ever since.
Stadium Series Game #2
Teams: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
We are proposing the Flyers to be a host team simply due to them having appeared in less outdoor games than the Penguins.
Lincoln Financial Field, home of the National Football League’s Philadelphia Eagles, hosted a Stadium Series game in 2019, coincidentally between the Flyers and Penguins.
The Flyers and Penguins have a strong rivalry. They have already met in two outdoor games previously. Hockey legends like Mario Lemieux and Eric Lindros fueled the rivalry in the 1990s. In recent history, the teams met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in both 2008 and 2009, with the Penguins winning the series both times. Furthermore, the Penguins would reach the Stanley Cup Final in both seasons, winning the chalice in 2009. The Flyers finally got the best of the Penguins in the playoffs in 2012.
Celebrating expansion? Check. Heated and historical rivalry? Check.
Stadium Series Game #3
Teams: Los Angeles Kings vs. San Jose Sharks
Location: SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California
As the Kings are the team in this matchup who are a true member of the 1967 expansion, they deserve to host this game.
SoFi Stadium is home to the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams. It is an indoor-outdoor stadium, which could be useful to help protect the ice surface given California’s warm climate. The roof could be closed leading up to pregame warm ups then opened, allowing for a traditional outdoor game.
Since 2010, the two teams have had quite a rivalry. In the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Sharks led the first-round series 3-0 before the Kings won four straight to become the fourth team win a series after being down 3-0. Furthermore, the Kings went on to win the Stanley Cup that season. Two seasons later, the teams met again in the first round. This time, the Sharks won the series, and would go on to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history. In addition, the teams have taken their rivalry outdoors once already, in 2015 at Levi’s Stadium.
Make It Happen, Gary
There are still two full hockey seasons in between now and the 2027-28 season. We are certainly looking ahead with this proposed idea. However, hockey has always been about celebrating the past, present, and future. We hope Gary Bettman will consider celebrating the league’s first expansion class when the time comes.
We hope you enjoy the 2025 Winter Classic on Tuesday. Please tune in for our predictions coverage prior to the game.
Main Photo: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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