5 NHL Winter Classic venues we’d love to see in the future

1. Ohio Stadium (Detroit Red Wings @ Columbus Blue Jackets)

The location we’d most like to see a Winter Classic take place is Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes. While this college football stadium has been suggested over the years, rumors have swirled that this location could be chosen soon. NHL representatives have already done a site survey for a potential hockey event at the venue. A Winter Classic at Ohio Stadium is not official yet, but the possibility is brewing.

The home team for a Winter Classic in Columbus would be the Columbus Blue Jackets. While the Blue Jackets are currently struggling in the 2023-24 season, they have a talented rookie, Adam Fantilli, to generate interest in the future. Once the Seattle Kraken host the 2024 Winter Classic, the Blue Jackets will be one of just three NHL teams that have never participated in an outdoor game. The NHL might hold off on this venue until the Blue Jackets improve their results on the ice. Once they do, the NHL should jump on having outdoor hockey in Ohio.

Rumors point to the Detroit Red Wings as a likely candidate for a Winter Classic showdown against the Blue Jackets. With a game taking place at Ohio Stadium, this match-up would play into the college football rivalry between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the University of Michigan Wolverines. The Red Wings franchise’s very first outdoor game back in 1954 was an exhibition scrimmage against…prison inmates at Marquette Branch Prison. The score was 18-0 after the first period, and the score was not kept after that. The most recent appearance by the Red Wings in an outdoor game was 2017.

What makes Ohio Stadium the right spot for a Winter Classic? The Shoe, which was the first horseshoe-shaped double-deck stadium in the U.S., is one of the most iconic college football stadiums with its unique design. With nearly 102,800 capacity, it’s the third-largest capacity college football stadium. The Buckeyes are one of the most beloved college teams. An obstacle is the need for winterization of the stadium, which is one of the hold-ups. Ohio Stadium is the place to be for college football, and we’d love to see this venue for the NHL’s Winter Classic.

Keep an eye out for news of where the 2025 Winter Classic will be held. One of these locations might be up next or we could see them somewhere down the line.