NHL Winter Classic 2027 Is Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026: Avalanche at Mammoth, Start Time by Zone and TV

The 2027 Discover NHL Winter Classic is Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time (MT), when the Colorado Avalanche visit the Utah Mammoth at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, according to the National Hockey League (NHL). That is 6 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) by our conversion. The NHL’s Winter Classic page of frequently asked questions (FAQ) names Utah as the home team.

Why is the 2027 Winter Classic played in 2026?

The game carries the 2027 label because it belongs to the 2026-27 season. It is played on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 2026, not on Jan. 1. The NHL’s FAQ lists the Thursday, Dec. 31 date, and the league’s July 16, 2026 schedule release repeats it. For the holiday itself, see New Year’s Eve.

What time is the Winter Classic in each time zone?

The NHL gives the start as 4:00 p.m. MT. Dec. 31 falls on standard time, so that is Mountain Standard Time. Every other row is our conversion, checked with a time zone database.

Time zone	Example place	Start on Thu., Dec. 31, 2026
Mountain Standard Time	Salt Lake City, Denver	4 p.m. (the NHL’s time)
Eastern Standard Time	New York, Toronto, Montreal	6 p.m.
Central Standard Time	Dallas, Chicago	5 p.m.
Pacific Standard Time	Los Angeles, Vancouver	3 p.m.
Alaska Standard Time	Anchorage	2 p.m.
Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time	Honolulu	1 p.m.
Mountain Standard Time (Canada)	Calgary, Edmonton	4 p.m.
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)		23:00

What channel is the Winter Classic on?

The Utah Mammoth announcement, as published on the Delta Center site, says the game is televised exclusively on Turner Network Television (TNT) in the U.S. and on Sportsnet in Canada. Check both networks closer to the date.

Where is the Winter Classic played?

At Rice-Eccles Stadium, on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City, according to the NHL’s FAQ. Utah is the home team.

What are the other NHL special events in 2026-27?

The NHL’s July 16, 2026 schedule release lists the Winter Classic alongside the Stadium Series, the All-Star weekend and the Global Series games in Europe. The Dallas Stars page lists the Stadium Series start and network. Where a source does not give a time or network, the table says so.

Date	Event	Teams	Place	Start	TV
Sun., Oct. 25, 2026 (past)	Heritage Classic	Jets vs Canadiens	Not in the sources we used	Not in the sources we used	Not in the sources we used
Thu., Nov. 12 and Sat., Nov. 14, 2026	Global Series Finland	Not in the sources we used	Helsinki	Not in the sources we used	Not in the sources we used
Fri., Dec. 18 and Sun., Dec. 20, 2026	Global Series Germany	Not in the sources we used	Düsseldorf	Not in the sources we used	Not in the sources we used
Thu., Dec. 31, 2026	Discover NHL Winter Classic	Avalanche at Mammoth	Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	4 p.m. MT (6 p.m. ET, our conversion)	TNT (U.S.), Sportsnet (Canada)
Fri., Feb. 5, 2027	All-Star skills	Not applicable	Not in the sources we used	Not in the sources we used	Not in the sources we used
Sat., Feb. 6, 2027	All-Star Game	Not applicable	Not in the sources we used	Not in the sources we used	Not in the sources we used
Sat., Feb. 20, 2027	Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series	Golden Knights at Stars	AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas	7 p.m. Central Time (8 p.m. ET, our conversion)	American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
Sat., Apr. 10, 2027	Regular season ends	All 32 teams	Not applicable	Not in the sources we used	Not in the sources we used

The league describes the 2027 All-Star Game as new-look. The Dallas Stars page, dated Jan. 29, 2026, gives the Stadium Series time and ABC broadcast. A Canadian broadcaster for that game was not announced in the sources we read.

Not yet announced

The sources we read do not give ticket prices, the trade deadline or the start of the playoffs, so we do not list them. We will update this story when the NHL publishes them.

Free NHL special events printable

Our one-page list puts the Heritage Classic, Global Series, Winter Classic, All-Star, Stadium Series and season-end dates in one place, with Eastern Time conversions for the two outdoor games. Mark Dec. 31 on the December 2026 printable calendar or add the games to a printable weekly calendar. For other holiday-week sports, see our stories on the Christmas Day 2026 games on the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Football League (NFL) schedules, the Grey Cup in Calgary and the Army-Navy Game.