Yesterday NHL reporter Kevin Weekes tweeted that the New York Rangers will be playing an outdoor game for the first time since 2018 when they face off against the New York Islanders at MetLife Stadium.
This got us at Empire Sports Media thinking about where else we would like to see the Rangers play outdoor games. Here are three places that would make an excellent fit.
Beaver Stadium
106,572. That is Beaver Stadium’s official capacity, making it the second-largest stadium in America. The Big House in Michigan (the country’s largest stadium) hosted the 2014 Winter Classic and is the only game in NHL history with over 100,000 in attendance.
The Rangers might seem like an odd choice here, but the Flyers and Penguins have played each other twice in outdoor games, so why not have one go up against one of their biggest rivals in the Rangers?
It is also close enough to New York City that many Ranger faithful would make the drive to support the Blueshirts.
NYCFC New Stadium
This one wouldn’t be for many years, with the stadium currently slated to open in 2027, but it is an exciting thought. The stadium is slated to fit 25,000 for soccer matches, so it could certainly be expanded for a hockey game.
The NHL has also never hosted an outdoor game in an MLS stadium, and this could be a unique opportunity for both leagues to expose themselves to the other.
With it being so far down the line, the Rangers vs. the Islanders would be the slam-dunk choice here, even though they are each other in the upcoming stadium series.
If the NHL does not want them to face off again so soon, the Rangers vs. the Devils would be another great choice and could lean into the NY Red Bulls and NYCFC rivalry that has intensified over the last few years.
Las Vegas Athletics Stadium
This one is out of the box, but hear me out. If the current Oakland Athletics move to Vegas and build a new baseball stadium, there will be the facilities to have a game there.
The Rangers may seem like an odd choice, but they, alongside the Los Angeles Kings, participated in the first-ever outdoor game between two NHL teams, albeit an exhibition in Vegas back in 1991.
The NHL could dive into that history, and by the time the stadium is constructed, it could coincide nicely with the 40th anniversary of that historic exhibition.