Could we see a Penguins/Flyers outdoor rubber match at Penn State?
The door is open for an epic potential location for the next Pens/Flyers outdoor game
The NHL loves its outdoor games. The television spectacle is top notch. The crowd sizes are huge (and oh so profitable). It gives the players something out of the ordinary and a throwback to many of their younger days.
The Penguins are no stranger to playing outside, leading the charge in the first ever Winter Classic that Sidney Crosby put on the map with his shootout goal in Buffalo in 2008. Pittsburgh’s six outdoor games are tied for the most in the league.
Six is the number of outdoor games the Philadelphia Flyers have played as well. The Pens and Flyers have clashed against each other outside twice — Pittsburgh took a 4-2 win in 2017 at what was then called Heinz Field, the home of the Steelers. The Flyers returned the favor with a 4-3 OT win in 2019 at the Eagles’ stadium on the eastern side of the commonwealth.
There’s one location natural location that makes perfect sense for a rubber match. Why not meet basically in the middle at State College?
Courtesy of upgrades to made to Beaver Stadium, home of Penn State football, that could idea be possible. There’s no official word or plans set in stone just yet but it’s likely only a matter of time before the “Battle of PA” occurs at the neutral site. Audrey Snyder wrote an article at The Athletic about what how the work being done will open up new possibilities for usage with the stadium. Looking through a hockey eye, here’s two portions that stood out:
Smaller projects that are part of this renovation are already happening or have happened inside the stadium as part of the $70 million from last year. Projects like winterizing, insulating pipes, adding two new scoreboards, improving the Northeast and Southeast corners of the stadium, improving fan circulation on the east side and ongoing stadium maintenance are all part of this renovation...
There was an increased need to get winter maintenance done in case Penn State would host a College Football Playoff game this December — upgrades needed to be done this past winter so the stadium would be functional when the temperatures dip below freezing. Penn State now is in a position to host a Playoff game because that priority maintenance has been addressed. The winterizing efforts also open the door for Beaver Stadium to host other non-football winter events in the stadium.
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Penn State’s long-term hope is the additional revenue that will come from hosting other events in the renovated stadium — like concerts, an outdoor hockey game, a wrestling match or a soccer friendly — will not only offset the costs but also improve the overall athletic department budget. Major events in the stadium also help bring people to the area which remains a point of emphasis.
Crazy to think a huge stadium like that wasn’t prepared for winter action, considering they host football games deep into November. That certainly explains why Notre Dame, Michigan, Minnesota, the Naval Academy, NC State and the Cotton Bowl have all hosted NHL outdoor games in the last 15 years and Penn State hasn’t. (Ohio State is on the NHL’s schedule next year, too).
The 2025 Winter Classic has already been announced for Wrigley Field, and adding on the game in Ohio Stadium that booked scheduling surely points to Beaver Stadium and Penn State not hosting NHL hockey until 2025-26, at the earliest. There’s also the matter that construction and upgrades that they have to take care of on the stadium over the next few years, which could also put a crimp in the timeline for just how soon we could actually see the Pens and Flyers renew their acquaintances in Happy Valley.
But now that Penn State is physically capable of hosting an NHL winter game, it can’t be too long now before the NHL gives taps into what would be a huge event that has money written all over it. We’ll still have to wait to see when exactly all the pieces come together, but don’t be surprised one day down the line that when the next time the Pens and Flyers meet for an outdoor game, it will be a in a very unique venue in neutral territory.