The league has yet to announce the venue for the 2027 Winter Classic<\/p>\n
Published<\/strong>January 3, 2026 4:54 PM EST\u2022Updated<\/strong>January 3, 2026 4:54 PM EST<\/p>\n The 2026 NHL Winter Classic<\/a> between the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers was hardly even in the books before rumors started flying about where next year’s game could be.<\/p>\n However, these rumors have seemingly been shut down, which is a shame because the idea was pretty awesome.<\/p>\n After the Rangers’ 5-1 win over the Cats, rumors started swirling that the 2027 Winter Classic would take place at Bristol Motor Speedway and would feature the Nashville Predators and the Carolina Hurricanes.<\/p>\n When I first saw this, my reaction was, “This is genius.”<\/p>\n Sure, they’d sort of just be copying Major League Baseball’s homework from when the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves played at Bristol last season<\/a>, but the team geography works out great for fans. Plus, the idea of a fast-paced sport like hockey being played at a racetrack is such a cool idea.<\/p>\n Also, I saw some people saying that the scorebug could read “NAS-CAR,” which would be often, even though I’m fairly certain the Predators use the abbreviation “NSH.”<\/p>\n But let’s not start saving our money to buy NHL-branded firesuits just yet.<\/p>\n According to Predators beat writer Alex Daugherty, this matchup isn’t happening\u2026 at least not in 2027. \u2026So you’re telling me there’s a chance\u2026 just not next year.<\/p>\n It’s not a surprise to see Bristol in the NHL outdoor game rumor mill. Last summer, some NHL execs were on hand for the MLB Speedway Classic<\/a> to see if it might be a suitable venue.<\/p>\n However, I think they should have Bristol host a Stadium Series game, if only for the uniforms.<\/p>\n Winter Classics usually see teams use throwback and fauxback designs, which are great.<\/p>\n However, Stadium Series games usually feature really bold, unusual uniforms. Doesn’t that seem like the perfect time to roll out NASCAR-inspired uniforms?<\/p>\n I mean, regular uniforms are starting to look a little NASCAR with all the ads, but I digress\u2026<\/p>\n\n
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