Colorado Avalanche to play Utah Mammoth in 2027 NHL Winter Classic in Salt Lake City

The Colorado Avalanche will play the 2027 Discover Winter Classic against the Utah Mammoth at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, the NHL announced on Wednesday. It's the first time the Avs will be playing the Winter Classic, and the fourth outdoor game the Avs will play in.

The Avs have played the Mammoth six times since and have a record of 4-1-1 against Utah, which played its first season last year.

"We're excited and honored that the League selected us for the Winter Classic," said Joe Sakic, president of hockey operations for the Avalanche.

"There's no better place for it, it's an absolute beautiful, beautiful, state and city," Mammoth defenseman Sean Durzi said. "To showcase not only Utah but the community and our team in itself is going to be amazing."

The date, start time, and ticketing information have not been announced yet. The event is typically on New Year's Day, but in some years, including this year, it's been on Jan. 2, when Jan. 1 fell on a Sunday.

The Winter Classic is often held at a baseball or football stadium in the home team's city or region, and next year's game will be at the University of Utah's football stadium.

"It's a beautiful venue, the background of the mountains, it's very well taken care of," Mammoth defenseman Sean Durzi said. "The atmosphere in there is pretty special. For us to be able to showcase that and showcase the fans, how loud it's going to be, it's going to be exciting."

"The Avalanche organization is always proud to be in consideration for marquee events like this," Sakic said. "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."

The Avalanche are 31-4-7 with 69 points in the standings, and the Mammoth are 20-20-3 with 43 points this season as of Wednesday.