NHL sets sights on outdoor games at Army, Air Force

As Saturday's "Stadium Series" contest between the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs took place at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md., the NHL was looking forward to future outdoor games at other U.S. service academies.

The league hopes to play games at Army's West Point and the Air Force Academy in the next few years.

"It's unique and as we continue to move forward with the outdoor games, you look for new concepts and new themes and new things that'll interest the fans," deputy commissioner Bill Daly told the Associated Press on Saturday. "Certainly the hope is, with a successful game (at Navy), we'll continue the venture with the Army and the Air Force and we'll see where we go from there."

Daly doesn't expect such an event to take place during the 2018-19 season, though he noted 2019-20 is a possibility. The 2019 "Stadium Series" is set to feature the Philadelphia Flyers taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles.

The NHL also holds annual outdoor "Winter Classic" games on or around New Year's Day. This year, the New York Rangers beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in overtime at Citi Field in New York, and next Jan. 1, the Boston Bruins will face off with the Chicago Blackhawks in South Bend, Ind.

The Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils took part in an exhibition game at West Point's Tate Rink in 2006.

--Field Level Media