The 2027 Winter Classic Means More Than One Game for Colorado Avalanche
On the 2026-27 regular-season schedule, a highlight for the Colorado Avalanche's slate will be the 2027 NHL Winter Classic.
The 2027 NHL Winter Classic is slated for Dec. 31, 2026 and will feature Colorado taking on the Utah Mammoth at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah — with the event being extra significant in that this will be the very first time the Avalanche will play in the event. In addition, this will be the fourth ever outdoor game Colorado ever takes part in.
New Year's Eve hockey in Utah!!! 🥳
— NHL (@NHL) April 25, 2026
The @Discover NHL #WinterClassic between the @utahmammoth and @Avalanche will be played on New Year's Eve! pic.twitter.com/ghzOmQaKIY
Colorado's 2026-27 slate features 84 games, as the year marks a turning of the page for the League in that each team will be playing that number of matchups. As a result of this adjustment, the Avalanche will play 24 games against the Pacific Division and 32 total matchups with teams from the Eastern Conference.
Also because of the 84 game slate, the Avalanche will now play 28 games against Central Division opponents — including against Utah at the previously referenced Winter Classic.
2027 Winter Classic Serves as a Highlight for Avalanche's 2026-27 Season
The game is to be played on the campus of the University of Utah which is burrowed between the mountains and Salt Lake City's downtown, with the college football stadium also holding the capacity to seat nearly 55,000.
Colorado has appeared in three total outdoor games so far leading up to the 2027 NHL Winter Classic, losing to the Detroit Red Wings in 2016 and also losing to the Los Angeles Kings in 2020. However, the Avalanche did post a win against the Vegas Golden Knights in their most recent outdoor matchup with a final score of 3-2 in 2021.
In addition, with the Winter Classic taking place towards the end of December, it marks a nice change in pace for the Avalanche; the very month after the Classic — January — highlights a season-high nine home matchups, which is the most Colorado has had in any month on the calendar since 2023.
Meaning, the event marks a fun opportunity for fans and the Colorado community to potential travel and get a change in scenery while still seeing the Avalanche take to the ice at the previously mentioned Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The Colorado fanbase will also be antsy for excitement, with the outdoor event taking place following the mandatory three-day hiatus from Dec. 24-26 for the League's Holiday Break — though the Avalanche will not see action from Dec. 21-26.
Overall, the 2026-27 season slate marks Colorado's 30th League season, which promises plenty of action due to the fact that there are 10 sets of back-to-back games. However, the 2027 Winter classic will bring a nice change of pace in addition to the fact that it is absolutely critical to the Avalanche's outdoor record that they earn a win over the Mammoth.
Jennifer Streeter graduated with a B.A. in journalism from Texas A&M and received her Master of Science from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. At both schools, she focused on an emphasis of sports reporting. A former athlete herself, "Jenny" was a varsity soccer player and comes from a family who participated in NCAA athletics. She has covered hockey since 2023 and is credentialed for the Seattle Kraken, New Jersey Devils and PWHL in addition to having covered the 2026 Frozen Four.