‘I think it’s going to happen’: Deputy commissioner Bill Daly on outdoor games in Europe

It appears that outdoor NHL hockey will be headed overseas in the coming years.

Speaking at the European Player Media Tour in Munich on Friday, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly discussed the possibility of the NHL staging an outdoor game in Europe.

“I think it’s going to happen, for sure,” Daly said. “When it’s going to happen, I couldn’t tell you, but I would say relatively near future would be a good guess.”

The NHL has made a concerted effort to grow the league in Europe over the past several years, holding regular season games in Europe as part of their NHL Global Series dating back to 2017. With outdoor games having become a go-to for NHL marketing and eventization in North America ever since the first Winter Classic in 2008, it only makes sense for the NHL to take outdoor hockey to Europe as they look to increase their footprint in the old continent.

On Thursday, the NHL announced a cross-promotional partnership with FC Bayern Munich, Germany’s most prominent soccer club. Bayern Munich’s home stadium, Allianz Arena, has a capacity of 75,000, and could be an ideal location for an outdoor NHL game. Daly was asked if Germany is among the likeliest countries to host an outdoor game, and responded by saying “Yeah, I think that’s fair.”

The 2026 NHL Global Series is set to contain four games in total. The Seattle Kraken and defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes will face each other on November 12 and 14 at the Veikkaus Arena in Helsinki, Finland. The Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators will square off on December 18 and 20 at PSD Bank Dome in Dusseldorf, Germany.

The 2027-28 NHL season will have four regular season games in Germany, including two featuring the Boston Bruins in Munich, and two featuring the Edmonton Oilers in Cologne.