The following is a list of NHL regular season outdoor games broadcasters, including those in Canada and in the United States.
The first NHL Heritage Classic was played in 2003 at Commonwealth Stadium between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens. Although the Oilers had suggested the idea of hosting an outdoor game as early as the mid-1980s, the genesis of the 2003 event was the "Cold War" outdoor game played two years prior between Michigan State University and the University of Michigan.
One year later, NBC Sports Executive VP Jon Miller pitched the idea of an annual outdoor television event to the NHL in 2004 "but they didn't find the concept workable."Wyshynski, Greg. “Chatting with NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood about Winter Classic, cable cam for hockey, Mike Milbury and HBO '24/7'”, "Puck Daddy," December 21, 2010 In December 2006, Miller found an ally in then NHL Executive VP/Business & Media John Collins, who embraced the idea.Brink, Bill. “Winter Classic is a cool concept”, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 26, 2010Dowbiggen, Bruce. “How hockey found its signature moment”, The Globe and Mail, December 30, 2010 The first Winter Classic was held January 1, 2008, between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. The game had an NHL-record crowd of 71,217 fans in attendance. The success of the 2008 NHL Winter Classic led the NHL to schedule a second one for 2009, held at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, on January 1, 2009, matching the Detroit Red Wings against the Chicago Blackhawks.
That game had the highest American television ratings of any hockey game in 33 years. The success of the 2009 NHL Winter Classic has solidified "the Classic" as an annual event from then on. The Winter Classic was officially made a permanent part of the NHL schedule through at least January 1, 2021, as part of the league's television contract with the NBC Sports Group. The Winter Classic is also broadcast in Canada by the league's TV partner there too.
Unlike the annual Winter Classic and Stadium Series games, Heritage Classic games have been held infrequently.
For the 2013–14 NHL season, the NHL introduced three other outdoor games known as the Stadium Series. The 2014 Stadium Series was held in Los Angeles, California, New York City and Chicago, Illinois. Another Stadium Series game was held the following season in Santa Clara, California, with two more games scheduled for the 2015–16 season in Denver, Colorado and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
To celebrate the league's centennial anniversary in 2017, two special outdoor games were held: The NHL Centennial Classic on January 1, 2017, to kick off the year; and then the NHL 100 Classic played on December 16.
United States YearNetworkPlay-by-playColor commentator(s)Ice-level analyst(s)Rinkside reporter(s)Studio hostStudio analyst(s)2026 Stadium SeriesESPNSean McDonoughRay FerraroEmily Kaplan and Kevin WeekesSteve LevyMark Messier and P. K. Subban 2026 Winter ClassicTNT/truTV/HBO MaxKenny AlbertEddie OlczykBrian BoucherDarren Pang and Jackie RedmondLiam McHughAnson Carter, Paul Bissonnette, Wayne Gretzky, and Henrik Lundqvist2025 Stadium SeriesESPN/ESPN+/Disney+Sean McDonoughRay FerraroEmily Kaplan, Kevin Weekes, and Marty SmithSteve LevyMark Messier and P. K. Subban2025 Winter ClassicTNT/truTV/MaxKenny AlbertEddie OlczykBrian BoucherDarren Pang and Jackie RedmondLiam McHughAnson Carter, Paul Bissonnette, Wayne Gretzky, and Chris CheliosTNT/truTV/Max (Datacast)John ForslundColby Armstrong and Mike Kellycolspan=2 2024 Stadium SeriesABC/ESPN+Sean McDonoughRay FerraroEmily Kaplan and Kevin WeekesSteve LevyMark Messier and P. K. Subban 2024 Winter ClassicTNT/truTV/MaxKenny AlbertEddie OlczykBrian BoucherDarren Pang and Jackie RedmondLiam McHughAnson Carter, Paul Bissonnette, and Wayne Gretzky2023 Heritage ClassicTBS/MaxJohn ForslundEddie OlczykAnson Carter and Jackie RedmondLiam McHughBrian Boucher2023 Stadium SeriesABC/ESPN+Sean McDonoughRay FerraroEmily Kaplan, Kevin Weekes, and Marty SmithSteve LevyMark Messier, Chris Chelios, and P. K. Subban2023 Winter ClassicTNTKenny AlbertEddie OlczykKeith JonesDarren Pang and Jackie RedmondLiam McHughAnson Carter, Rick Tocchet, Paul Bissonnette, Wayne Gretzky, and Keith Yandle2022 Heritage ClassicTNTKenny AlbertEddie Olczyk and Wayne GretzkyKeith JonesLiam McHughAnson Carter, Rick Tocchet, and Paul Bissonnette2022 Stadium SeriesTNTKenny AlbertEddie OlczykKeith JonesJackie RedmondLiam McHughAnson Carter, Rick Tocchet, Paul Bissonnette, and Wayne Gretzky2022 Winter ClassicTNTKenny AlbertKeith JonesDarren PangJennifer BotterillLiam McHughAnson Carter, Rick Tocchet, Paul Bissonnette, and Wayne Gretzky2021 Outdoors at Lake TahoeNBCSN (Philadelphia–Boston)Mike TiricoEddie OlczykBrian BoucherRutledge WoodMike TiricoEddie OlczykNBC (first period)/NBCSN (second and third periods) (Vegas-Colorado)2020 Stadium SeriesNBCKenny AlbertEddie OlczykBrian BoucherRutledge WoodKathryn TappenPatrick Sharp and Rutledge Wood2020 Winter ClassicNBCMike EmrickEddie OlczykPierre McGuire and Brian BoucherMike Tirico and Kathryn TappenMike Milbury, Keith Jones, and Patrick Sharp2019 Heritage ClassicNBCSNJim HughsonCraig SimpsonScott Oake and Kelly HrudeyKathryn TappenKeith Jones and Anson Carter2019 Stadium SeriesNBCMike EmrickEddie OlczykPierre McGuireJeremy RoenickLiam McHughMike Milbury, Keith Jones, and Jeremy Roenick2019 Winter ClassicNBCMike EmrickEddie OlczykPierre McGuireJeremy RoenickMike Tirico and Kathryn TappenMike Milbury, Keith Jones, and Jeremy Roenick2018 Stadium SeriesNBCMike EmrickMike MilburyPierre McGuireJeremy RoenickKathryn TappenJeremy Roenick and Keith Jones2018 Winter ClassicNBCMike EmrickMike MilburyPierre McGuireJeremy RoenickLiam McHughKeith Jones and Jeremy Roenick2017 100 ClassicNBCSNJim HughsonCraig SimpsonGarry GalleyKyle BukauskasKathryn TappenKeith Jones and Brian Boucher2017 Stadium SeriesNBCMike EmrickEddie OlczykPierre McGuireJeremy RoenickLiam McHughMike Milbury, Keith Jones, and Jeremy Roenick2017 Winter ClassicNBCMike EmrickEddie OlczykPierre McGuireJeremy RoenickBob Costas and Liam McHughMike Milbury, Keith Jones, and Jeremy RoenickNHL Centennial ClassicNBCJohn ForslundBrian Boucher Pierre McGuireKathryn TappenJeremy Roenick2016 Heritage ClassicNHL NetworkJim HughsonCraig SimpsonScott OakeDavid AmberKelly Hrudey, Nick Kypreos, and Elliotte Friedman2016 Stadium Series (Denver)NBCMike EmrickEddie OlczykPierre McGuireJeremy RoenickKathryn TappenJeremy Roenick2016 Stadium Series (Minneapolis)NBCMike EmrickEddie OlczykPierre McGuireJeremy RoenickLiam McHughMike Milbury, Keith Jones, and Jeremy Roenick2016 Winter ClassicNBCMike EmrickEddie OlczykPierre McGuireJeremy RoenickLiam McHughMike Milbury, Keith Jones, and Jeremy Roenick2015 Stadium SeriesNBCSNDave StraderEddie OlczykBrian EngblomCarolyn MannoKathryn Tappen2015 Winter ClassicNBCMike EmrickEddie OlczykPierre McGuireJeremy RoenickLiam McHughMike Milbury, Keith Jones, and Jeremy Roenick2014 Heritage ClassicNBCSNGord MillerBrian EngblomKathryn TappenJeremy Roenick2014 Stadium Series (Chicago)NBCMike EmrickEddie OlczykPierre McGuireJeremy RoenickLiam McHughMike Milbury, Keith Jones, and Jeremy Roenick2014 Stadium Series (New York)NBC (New York Rangers–New Jersey)Mike EmrickEddie OlczykPierre McGuireJeremy RoenickLiam McHughMike Milbury, Keith Jones, and Jeremy RoenickNBCSN (New York Rangers–New York Islanders)2014 Stadium Series (Los Angeles)NBCSNDave StraderAnson CarterBrian EngblomJeremy RoenickRuss ThalerJeremy Roenick and Anson Carter2014 Winter ClassicNBCMike EmrickEddie OlczykPierre McGuireJeremy RoenickLiam McHughMike Milbury, Keith Jones, and Jeremy Roenick2012NBCMike EmrickEddie OlczykPierre McGuire and Darren PangBob CostasMike Milbury2011 Heritage ClassicVersus (now NBCSN)Dave StraderAndy BrickleyBrian EngblomBill PatrickKeith Jones and Jeremy Roenick2011 Winter ClassicNBCMike EmrickEddie OlczykPierre McGuire and Darren PangBob CostasMike Milbury2010Your Announcers and Open Thread For the 2010 Winter ClassicNBCMike EmrickEddie OlczykDarren PangBob CostasMike Milbury2009NBCDave StraderEddie OlczykPierre McGuire and Darren PangBob CostasMike Milbury2008NBCMike EmrickEddie OlczykDarren PangBob CostasMike Milbury
Notes The first outdoor game between two NHL teams was an official pre-season match-up on September 27, 1991. The game took place in the parking lot of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, and featured the Los Angeles Kings and the New York Rangers. The game was televised live on Prime Ticket, and, due to its uniqueness, has since been repeated numerous times on other networks, such as MSG Network and the NHL Network. During the game, Kings goaltender Kelly Hrudey wore a camera mounted on his mask, and shots from his point of view were used during the broadcast. There was no separate American live telecast of the 2003 Heritage Classic. ESPN/ABC, the American rights-holder at the time, was already committed to broadcasting college football on its channels during that day. American viewers who wanted to watch the game live could view the Canadian CBC broadcast on NHL Center Ice. In 2008, some NBC affiliates decided instead to air the game on secondary channels often used for weather service. Therefore, in some markets, fans with a satellite service carrying DirecTV or DISH Network were unable to watch the game. Despite this, and competing with broadcasts of college football bowl games (this was particularly noted in the Detroit, Michigan market, usually a strong market for hockey ratings, where the Wolverines were playing in the Capital One Bowl), the game garnered a 2.6 rating and 5 share, the highest rating for a regular season NHL game since 1996, and the highest share since Wayne Gretzky's final game in 1999, in a near tie with second-place CBS' 2.7 rating for Gator Bowl coverage. The production earned a 38.1 rating in Buffalo and 17.7 rating in Pittsburgh, to lead all markets. NBC had an airplane flying overhead to provide bird's-eye views of the rink, including a live webstream from its camera throughout the game. The announcers stood in a constructed perch on the penalty box side of the rink, in front of the stadium stands. In 2009, Dave Strader filled-in for Mike Emrick on play-by-play for NBC because Emrick had laryngitis. On January 3, 2009, the NHL reported that the overnight television ratings had increased 12% over the 2008 game. Nationally, the game had 2.9 overnight rating and a 6 share. In Chicago, Thursday's game drew a national high of an 11.8 rating and 21 share, with Detroit second at 10.5 and 21 (this despite that yet again, a Michigan-based team was playing in the Capital One Bowl opposite the Winter Classic—this time the Michigan State Spartans). Other above-average markets included Buffalo (whose 10.1 rating/20 share was comparable to Detroit's), St. Louis (5.3/10), Pittsburgh (4.4/8), Denver (4.2/10), Providence (3.5/7), Indianapolis (3.4/6), West Palm Beach (3.3/6), and Orlando (3.2/5).NHL WINTER CLASSIC ON NBC DELIVERS BEST REGULAR SEASON OVERNIGHT IN NEARLY 13 YEARS. NBC press release. 3 January 2009. Each overnight ratings point equals about 735,000 TV homes. On January 12, the final ratings figure was announced. There was an average of 4.4 million viewers of the game on NBC, and this was the largest since the February 23, 1975 match between the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers. The 2011 Winter Classic was delayed by seven hours due to rainy weather and ended up being played in prime time. The 2012, the 2017, and the 2023 games were all played on January 2 since January 1 landed on a Sunday. The 2013 game was cancelled on November 2, 2012, due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout. NHL Network simulcast Sportsnet's coverage of the 2016 Heritage Classic. NBCSN simulcast CBC and Sportsnet's coverage of the 2017 100 Classic and the 2019 Heritage Classic.