It’s high time Beaver Stadium hit the outdoor hockey stage…
PublishedJanuary 28, 2026 8:00 PM EST•UpdatedJanuary 28, 2026 7:18 PM EST
- Copy Link
Some of the most iconic stadiums in college football have hosted outdoor hockey games.
Michigan Stadium. Ohio Stadium. Camp Randall Stadium. Carter–Finley Stadium. Notre Dame Stadium. The Cotton Bowl.
Upon reading that list, there should be one glaring omission, and that’s Beaver Stadium, home of the Penn State Nittany Lions.
READ: PENN STATE UNLEASHES OUTDOOR HOCKEY HEAT WITH KILLER SWEATERS FOR BEAVER STADIUM
For years, this has been talked about as a potential spot for an NHL game — ideally pitting the Pittsburgh Penguins against the Philadelphia Flyers — but that hasn’t panned out.
So, it’s been left up to the college hockey ranks to deliver the outdoor goods.
Penn State’s men’s and women’s teams will both hit the ice, with the women playing on Friday night and the men following on Saturday. The women will host the Robert Morris University, while the fellas will take on the Michigan State Spartans.
On Wednesday, we got a look at the rink at Beaver Stadium, and it is nothing short of stunning.
How about that?
It’s like it was built to host an outdoor hockey game.
Y’know what? I need some more:
What a backdrop for a hockey game, and Saturday night’s tilt between the men’s teams should be a doozy.
Penn State and Michigan State are second and third, respectively, in the Big Ten, with the Spartans just missing out on the services of projected No. 1 NHL Draft pick Gavin McKenna, who is spending what may be his only year of NCAA hockey in State College.
Better yet, these two games at Beaver Stadium are just two of three outdoor games taking place this weekend.
Down in Tampa, the Lightning will host the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium in a pirate-themed NHL Stadium Series game.
The weather for Sunday’s game is expected to be unseasonably cold for Florida, but, hey, that makes for some great hockey weather.
