The Philadelphia Flyers have solidified themselves as a team to watch after this season. Going from a team expected to be in the running for a high lottery pick in the NHL Draft, to making the playoffs and advancing to the second round. The rebuild is officially over and they are ready to contend for the Stanley Cup for the foreseeable future.
Considering this, Flyers fans can expect the team to get some more nationally broadcasted games. Perhaps the biggest one is if they play in an outdoor game inside a football or baseball stadium, whether it's the Winter Classic or Stadium Series. Next season isn't happening, as those matchups are already locked in. However, the Flyers have their eyes set on a location and opponent for an outdoor game.
In a recent article Flyers beat reporter for The Athletic Kevin Kurz mentions that the team is hoping the NHL can book an outdoor game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Beaver Stadium, home of the Penn State Nittany Lions football team in the near future.
Flyers hoping for outdoor game vs. Penguins at Beaver Stadium
As mentioned earlier, the Flyers are not a factor in the outdoor game schedule next season. The Winter Classic will be at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, with the Utah Mammoth hosting the Colorado Avalanche on Dec. 31. Then, the Stadium Series will take place in Arlington, Texas on Feb. 20, 2027, with the Dallas Stars hosting the Vegas Golden Knights. So those two games are locked in.
There is no announcement for the outdoor games during the 2027-28 season, so it's quite possible that maybe the Battle of Pennsylvania at Happy Valley. Flyers governor Dan Hilferty told Kurz that he's been bugging NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to book it.
“I mention it to Gary Bettman every time I see him,” Hilferty told The Athletic. “I don’t want to put words in their mouth, but they’re open to it.”
Booking that matchup would be ideal, especially considering these two teams competed in the first round of the playoffs. It featured the tensions boiling over between the two in-state rivals, the Flyers taking an early 3-0 series lead, and the veteran-filled Penguins, led by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, attempting the comeback of all comebacks. However, the Flyers were victorious in Game 6 after a winning goal in overtime from defenseman Cam York.
The last time the Flyers competed in an outdoor game was back in 2024, where they faced off against the New Jersey Devils in one of two games for the Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The Devils defeated the Flyers 6-3.
While an outdoor game in Pennsylvania would be great for the Flyers and their fans, the obvious priority would be to see them continue to build out their roster and field a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, as soon as next season. We'll see what general manager Danny Briere has in store.
