The NHL has taken its outdoor games to some pretty spectacular locales over the years, from historic baseball stadiums and football fields to the shore of Lake Tahoe and the Caesars Palace parking lot. Now, the league appears to have its sights set on taking the concept across the Atlantic.
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti at the European Player Media Tour in Munich on Friday that he expects the NHL to stage an outdoor game in Europe eventually. However, there isn’t a firm date or location in place yet.
“I think it’s going to happen, for sure,” Daly told Gulitti. “When it’s going to happen, I couldn’t tell you, but I would say relatively near future would be a good guess.”
Germany, where Daly spoke to reporters, is emerging as a particularly intriguing candidate to host the first overseas attempt.
The NHL has recently made a significant push into the German market, announcing Thursday a multiyear partnership with historic soccer club FC Bayern Munich that is designed to accelerate the growth of hockey in the country. The partnership brings together the NHL and Germany’s most successful soccer club for fan initiatives, youth programs, street hockey events, watch parties and other cross-promotional opportunities.
And if the NHL is looking for a venue that can turn its first European outdoor game into a massive event, Bayern’s Allianz Arena could be the perfect spot. The Munich stadium holds approximately 75,024 spectators for soccer and is one of Germany’s most recognizable sporting venues.
When asked whether Germany should be considered a leading candidate to host an outdoor NHL game, Daly kept it simple. “Yeah, I think that’s fair,” he said.
The NHL has already scheduled indoor, regular-season games in Germany for the next two seasons. Düsseldorf’s PSD Bank Dome will host the Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks for the 2026 NHL Global Series Germany on December 18 and 20, while Munich and Cologne will each get their first taste of NHL regular-season action in 2027.
The Boston Bruins and Munich native JJ Peterka will play a pair of games at SAP Garden, while the Edmonton Oilers and Cologne native Leon Draisaitl will headline the games at Lanxess Arena.
