A budding Rocky Mountain hockey rivalry is headed outdoors. The Avalanche will play in the 2027 NHL Winter Classic against Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, the league announced on Wednesday. It will be the 18th iteration of the Winter Classic, and the first appearance for the Avs. Colo rado has previously played in two editions of the NHL’s Stadium Series: against the Red Wings at the Rockies’ Coors Field in 2016, and against the Kings at Air Force’s Falcon Stadium in 2020. The Avs also played the Golden Knights at Edgewood Tahoe Resort for the NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe in 2021. Colorado is 1-2-0 in those outdoor games. “We’re excited and honored that the League selected us for the Winter Classic,” said Avalanche president of hockey operations Joe Sakic in a statement. “The Avalanche organization is always proud to be in consideration for marquee events like this. We’re looking forward to being matched up with a great team and represent the Rocky Mountain region in a game that appeals to these two markets in this part of the country.” Additional details for the game, including ticketing info, date and start time, will be announced later. The game will be the 47th NHL regular-season outdoor game and the first for Utah, which is the only franchise that has yet to appear in an outdoor game. The NHL expects a crowd of over 50,000 for the 2027 Winter Classic; Rice-Eccles Stadium holds 51,444. “In the very early discussions I had with (Mammoth owner) Ryan (Smith) about the possibility of a franchise (in Utah), the thing that impressed me most was he was focused on big things for Utah,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said during Wednesday’s press conference announcing the game. “… This is a big thing, and we’re happy to share it with the NHL family that now reside in Utah.” The Winter Classic, an annual outdoor game played on or around New Year’s Day, was first played in 2008 when the Sabres hosted the Penguins at the Bills’ stadium. This year’s game pitted the Panthers against the Rangers last week at LoanDepot Park. The other outdoor game announced for next season will be a Stadium Series game hosted by the Dallas Stars at ATT Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 20, 2027. The Stars’ opponent is yet to be announced. Colorado has faced Utah six times since the Mammoth’s inception ahead of last season, with a 4-1-1 record, including 2-0-1 this season. That mark includes a win in the Avs’ home opener at Ball Arena on Oct. 9. Bettman said he anticipates both teams will wear a specialty jersey for the 2027 Winter Classic. “A nice rivalry is developing, and the two teams from the mountain geography coming together makes perfect sense,” Bettman said. Related Articles For injured Avalanche, potential get-right homestand at Ball Arena comes at just the right time Avalanche loses 4-2 at Tampa Bay for second straight defeat in regulation Colorado Sports Hall of Fame tabs Avalanche star Cale Makar as Pro Athlete of the Year Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog will ‘miss some weeks’ with upper-body injury Concern for Gabe Landeskog’s health goes beyond Avalanche: ‘He’s too important to the game of hockey’ Want more Avalanche news? Sign up for the Avalanche Insider to get all our NHL analysis. ...read more read less