At long last, the Columbus Blue Jackets will play in an outdoor NHL game. A familiar foe will provide the opposition in what should be one of the largest attended hockey games of all time.
The NHL officially announced on Saturday night that the Blue Jackets will host the Detroit Red Wings in a 2025 Stadium Series Game at Ohio Stadium, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes. That now leaves just two teams who continue to wait for their chance at a regular-season outdoor game, the Florida Panthers and Arizona Coyotes.
This announcement has been long overdue for the Blue Jackets and their fans. The NHL has been interested for some time in hosting a game at Ohio Stadium. However winterization of the stadium and plumbing issues have prevented anything from advancing previously.
Back in November, there was a site survey done which started the chatter regarding a possible outdoor game to come. There was some thought that the Winter Classic would be in consideration. However, it was decided that a Stadium Series game would take place instead. Given where the Ohio State Football Team might be on January 1, this makes sense.
Ohio Stadium’s capacity sits at 102,780 fans according to the Greater Columbus Sports Commission. This makes them the fourth-largest on-campus stadium in the United States. Given the proximity of the Blue Jackets and Red Wings, just three hours and 200 miles apart, this has the makings for one of the most electric atmospheres for a hockey game with the possibility of an even split of fans packing the stadium.
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This game will allow the hockey world to see Adam Fantilli on center stage along with other top players on both the Blue Jackets and Red Wings. Here’s a summary of what all we know to this point.
- Game will be held March 1, 2025 at Ohio Stadium.
- It’s the first time the Blue Jackets will play in an outdoor regular-season game.
- Game time and channel will be announced at a later date.
Stay with the Hockey Writers as this is a breaking news story and updates will be provided as information continues to become available. We’ll pass along ticketing information once that is known.