Outdoor hockey has never been better.
Now, it really hasn’t ever been bad — it’s always a sight to behold to watch a sport that’s usually played inside in a climate-controlled environment transition to the chaos and great unknown that is outside — but the peak is now. It seems as if every hockey game that’s played outside, whether that be the NHL’s Stadium Series matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins or just a regular pond hockey contest played in the freezing temperatures of Regina, Saskatchewan, provides the spectator with a sense of awe.
Penn State and Michigan State drew 74,575 fans to Beaver Stadium for today’s hockey game.
That’s more than the attendance at the CFP national championship (67,227).
Only 16 college football teams averaged a higher attendance at home games in 2025.
pic.twitter.com/yFesdvthv2
— Joel Haas (@Joel_Haas1) January 31, 2026
This triumph of the sport was as apparent as ever over the past couple of days. With the Stadium Series being the talk of the town in the pros to Michigan State’s overtime victory over Penn State in front of 75,000 fans at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, outdoor hockey certainly had its moments in the last 72 hours. Anybody who watched one (or both) of those games probably came to the same realization: that hockey is great played inside, but it’s out of this world when it’s played amidst the elements. There’s just nothing like it.
One glance at the atmosphere inside Beaver Stadium on Jan. 31 tells the entire story. It was bitterly cold that day, but almost every seat was filled, and nobody was complaining. A great sporting spectacle was unfolding in front of them, after all — complaining would be foolhardy. The back-and-forth affair ended with a Michigan State victory via a Charlie Stramel game-winner — his third goal of the game — in overtime. As the scene unfolded, even the disappointed in Happy Valley could’ve admitted that what they’d just witnessed was magical.
Leaning into the Bit
Feb 1, 2026; Tampa Bay, Florida, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) and Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) exchange punches as officials Kyle Flemington and Julien Fournier look on during the second period in the 2026 Stadium Series ice hockey game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
On its face, having a professional hockey game outside is somewhat ludicrous. Doing so in Florida, a place that rarely gets below 50 degrees, seems even more absurd. Yet it worked, all because everybody fully committed to the absurdity of it all.
With the NHL leaning into the pirate theme of Tampa Bay, the Lightning entered Raymond James Stadium dressed as Buccaneers. No, not literal buccaneers, but the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Every player was adorned with a helmet, pads and a jersey as Baker Mayfield and Tristan Wirfs, two of the most accomplished Buccaneers, led them into the stadium.
Meanwhile, the Bruins looked straight out of an American Revolution documentary, arriving dressed as real patriots (presumably the New England Patriots were busy using their uniforms for the Super Bowl this coming weekend). It was a hilarious scene that only added to the charm of the event.
GOALIE FIGHT AT THE #STADIUMSERIES
🇺🇸: @espn ➡️ https://t.co/m0LyTCHYnH
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet & @TVASports ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/OSydD4j1cq
— NHL (@NHL) February 2, 2026
Then the game started, and everybody remembered why outdoor hockey is amazing. Boston roared out to a 5-1 lead early in the second period before the Lightning miraculously rallied to tie it midway through the third. The teams remained deadlocked throughout the remainder of regulation and overtime, eventually needing a shootout to decide which side would reign victorious. In the end, it was the home Lightning who came out on top thanks to a Jake Guentzel shootout winner.
In the middle of all the chaos that was that hockey game, we saw a goalie fight between Bruins netminder Jeremy Swayman and Lightning keeper Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper dressed in an appropriately Florida-themed outfit, and 64,617 fans screaming their heads off. All in all, it was a fantastic scene, one that reinforced the idea that outdoor hockey is great anywhere, even in the tropical paradise that is Florida.