Mammoth to host 2027 Discover NHL Winter Classic at University of Utah

Bill Armstrong has already planned his commute for the 2027 Discover NHL Winter Classic.

"The beauty is my house is like a two-minute walk to the stadium," the Utah Mammoth general manager told NHL.com. "So, that morning I'm going to take my iPad, step outside, and make the quick walk to the stadium. And my wife will probably have a big tailgate at our house."

She could hold that tailgate on Wednesday as a celebration of the news that Utah, which is in its second season, has been awarded the 18th NHL Winter Classic.

That offical announcement came at Rice-Eccles Stadium during a press conference with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, Mammoth owners Ryan and Ashley Smith, and Mammoth forward Logan Cooley.

The Mammoth will become the 32nd NHL team to play in an outdoor game when they host the Colorado Avalanche at Rice-Eccles Stadium on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

It will be the NHL's 47th outdoor game. The 44 played so far have a combined attendance of 2,276,221, an average of 51,732. A date for the game will be announced at a later time.

The next outdoor game will be the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on Feb. 1 (6:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS).

The Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens will play in the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Oct. 25, 2026.

"Super cool," Utah captain Clayton Keller said. "I grew up watching the Winter Classic. I watched the 24/7 show on HBO. That was my favorite thing to watch. Now to be a part of that will be super special and a ton of fun."

Armstrong said the Winter Classic announcement gives everyone who has been associated with the Mammoth, and before that the Arizona Coyotes, a chance "to reflect and be grateful for all the things that have happened to the franchise."

For example, exactly two years ago current Mammoth players Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Dylan Guenther, Alex Kerfoot, Jack McBain, Liam O'Brien, Sean Durzi, Michael Carcone, Lawson Crouse, Logan Cooley and Karel Vejmelka were playing for the Coyotes in front of 4,600 fans at Mullett Arena on the campus of Arizona State University, losing 6-2 to the Winnipeg Jets.

Next season, they'll play for the Mammoth in a stadium that seats more than 54,000 for college football.

"Well, it's just the way we drew it up," Armstrong said with a laugh.

He jokes, but the irony of it is Armstrong and Keller each said he envisioned Utah getting a chance to host big events like an outdoor game when the Smiths acquired the assets of the Coyotes on April 18, 2024.

At the time, remember, the NHL had not yet gone to South Florida to play a Winter Classic, as it did so successfully five days ago, when the Florida Panthers played the New York Rangers with the roof open at loanDepot park, the home of the Miami Marlins.

So, moving to a colder climate with a major college football stadium in the market immediately provided an opportunity.

"There was so much going on that I didn't really have time to think about it, but we knew there was definitely a chance," Keller said.

The immediate support from the fanbase, plus the buy-in and unwavering support from the Smiths, has allowed the franchise to build on the initial surge that pushed it when it first arrived in Utah.

The players see it with their amenities and how they're treated. They feel it.

"This is an unbelievable organization," Keller said. "The way they treat us, treat our families, I think they're the best owners in the League. Our president, Chris Armstrong, has been unbelievable, too. The things he's done for me, like he came to my dad's funeral with me. He didn't have to do that. We flew three hours together. We were obviously close before, but now that's something I'll remember for the rest of my life, him doing that. I told him that as well. Everything they do for us is unbelievable. They really care about growing the game, being in the community, and doing all the little things to be successful, to be an organization that everyone is excited to be a part of."

The opportunity to host a Winter Classic, the marquee event of every NHL regular season since 2008, is the reward for the team and the market.

"It's the ability to have an elite practice facility, an elite home rink, and now we're going to add a Winter Classic," Bill Armstrong said. "It's a celebration of hockey in your state, your city and for your franchise. It draws a lot of attention to your franchise, and I love that aspect of it because there's a lot to be proud of. I think it's going to draw focus to that."

And when the day comes, Armstrong envisions walking out of his house and down the block to Rice-Eccles Stadium with the thousands of fans who will be ready to ring in 2027 with the biggest hockey event to come to Salt Lake City since the 2002 Winter Olympics.

"The one thing Utah and the fans of the Mammoth do incredibly well is they show up and they show up in numbers," Armstrong said. "This is going to be a major event in Utah. It's going to put us on the map. It's exciting times. It's going to be a great day."