NHL tops 40 outdoor games with showdowns at MetLife Stadium

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The two Stadium Series games at MetLife Stadium this weekend increased the NHL’s total of outdoor games to 41.

Each of the four teams featured five players who previously played in a pro game in the open air.

“Outdoor experiences, it’s great,” said forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who was playing in his second outdoor game when the New York Islanders lost to the crosstown-rival Rangers, 6-5, in overtime Sunday. “It’s great for everyone, it’s great for the fans, but even for us it’s something that you’ll remember forever and you want to make the best out of it.”

Pageau’s first came while playing for Ottawa in the NHL 100 Classic on Dec. 16, 2007, which was tied for the third-coldest outdoor game in NHL history — just 13 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-10 Celsius) at the start. The temperature was better for Sunday’s game, 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 Celsius) at the 3:48 p.m. start that was delayed about 45 minutes because of the sun reflecting on the ice.

Philadelphia’s Sean Couturier and Marc Staal each played in his fifth in a 6-3 loss to New Jersey on Saturday night, with Couturier appearing in all five with Philadelphia and Staal having played with the New York Rangers. Scott Laughton and Travis Sanheim each played in his second with the Flyers, and defenseman Egor Zamula played outdoors in a Western Hockey League game in 2019. Also, John Tortorella coached his third outdoor game.

For the Devils, Tyler Toffoli and Brendan Smith each played his third, and Erik Haula, Tomas Nosek and Ondrej Palat each his second. Lindy Ruff was also a coach in his third, including second as a head coach.

Rangers forwards Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin each played his third outdoor game, and defenseman Erik Gustafsson and forward Jimmy Vesey their second. Peter Laviolette tied an NHL record by coaching in his fifth outdoor game, though Sunday was his first win.

Vesey and Zibanejad are the only remaining players left from the Rangers team that played in the 2018 Winter Classic at Citi Field, home to MLB’s New York Mets.

“A lot different to be at a stadium like this than a baseball field and the way it’s structured,” Zibanejad said. “The stadium makes the rink feel a lot smaller.”

For the Islanders, Matt Martin played in his third outdoor game, whereas teammates Casey Cizikas, Cal Clutterbuck and Kyle Palmieri were appearing in their second. Islanders coach Patrick Roy, in his ninth game since replacing the fired Lane Lambert, was behind the bench outdoors for the second time.

Islanders get All-Star game

During the first intermission Sunday, the NHL announced the Islanders will host the 2026 All-Star game at UBS Arena.

“We have been looking forward to UBS Arena playing host to one of our major league events since before construction of this wonderful arena began,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a news release. “We have every confidence that the Islanders organization, led by Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky, will deliver a celebration that will make the greater New York region and the NHL proud.”

Outdoor records

The Rangers’s win gave them a 5-0-0 record in outdoor games. They beat the Flyers in the 2012 Winter Classic in Philadelphia, had a 7-3 win over the Devils and 2-1 victory over the Islanders in Stadium Series games at Yankee Stadium in 2014 and beat the Buffalo Sabres, 4-3, in overtime at Citi Field in the 2018 Winter Classic.

The Islanders were playing in their second outdoor game, the first since that loss to Rangers on Jan. 29, 2014.

With their win against the Flyers on Saturday night, the Devils evened their record to 1-1-0 and dropped Philadelphia to 1-4-1.