Team: 2023-24 Custom Team

Initial Creation Date: Feb. 19, 2024

Published: May 15, 2024

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

***25 Winter Classic - St. Louis @ Chicago - Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs)
***25 Stadium Series - Detroit @ Columbus - Ohio Stadium (Ohio State University)

26 Winter Classic - Washington @ Pittsburgh - PNC Park (Pittsburgh Pirates)
26 Heritage Classic - Toronto @ Winnipeg - Princess Auto Stadium (Winnipeg Blue Bombers)
2026 Olympics

This could very well be the final year of Ovechkin and Crosby being in the NHL together. How could would it be to have them play 3 games between the start of the season and New Years, and then have their final meeting take place outdoors? I picked PNC Park because A) it's gorgeous and B) the only place to do it in DC is Nats Park, and even as a DC area native, I feel PNC Park would be a better setting.
The Heritage Classic would be a great way to get some action going in Winnipeg, as the market struggled a bit this year. I love Winnipeg, and I'd hate to see them go again.

27 Winter Classic - Dallas @ Colorado - Mile High Stadium (Denver Broncos)
27 Stadium Series - Vancouver @ Seattle - Lumen Field (Seattle Seahawks)

Dallas and Colorado should be very good still at this time, and I think Colorado deserves to host a Winter Classic. Vancouver at Seattle would help fuel the geographical rivalry, and Lumen Field would be an awesome venue for hockey.

28 Winter Classic - Detroit @ Minnesota - Lambeau Field (Green Bay Packers, in Green Bay)
28 Heritage Classic - Montreal @ Edmonton - Mosaic Stadium (Saskatchewan Roughriders, in Regina)
28 Stadium Series - Nashville @ St. Louis - Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Chiefs, in Kansas City)

This would be the 20 year anniversary of the first Winter Classic, and the 25 year anniversary of the first Heritage Classic. The NHL could do something special, as I have them playing three outdoor games at three neutral sites. Hockey in Wisconsin makes sense to me, and I have two cities that Green Bay despises in football with Minnesota and Detroit in there. Montreal and Edmonton bring the NHL out to Saskatchewan (home of legend Braden Holtby.) And then the Preds and Blues play a neutral site game at the home of the best team in the NFL.

29 Winter Classic - Florida @ Carolina - Bank Of America Stadium (Carolina Panthers, in Charlotte)
29 Stadium Series - Seattle @ San Jose - Oracle park (San Francisco Giants) Los Angeles @ Anaheim - Angels Stadium (LA Angels)

Carolina finally gets their Winter Classic and Florida finally participates in an outdoor game, leaving Utah as the final team to do so. For the stadium series, I went back and did round two of the California games.

30 Winter Classic - Vegas @ Utah - Rice Eccles Stadium (Utah Utes)
30 Heritage Classic - Ottawa @ Calgary
2030 Olympics

Utah gets their first outdoor game in franchise history, becoming the last team to do so. Ottawa and Calgary get the nod in the Heritage Classic.