2027 Travel
Friday, December 31, 2026
The Winter Classic takes hockey outdoors, and the 2027 edition falls on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2026, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. A package covers a game ticket, a Salt Lake City hotel over New Year, and transfers. Ski add-ons are available. Airfare is not included.
Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City
The NHL Winter Classic takes hockey back outdoors, and the 2027 edition lands on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2026, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, under the Wasatch mountains.
There is nothing else like it on the NHL calendar: a regular-season game played outdoors in a football stadium, in the cold, with a mountain backdrop and 50,000 fans bundled up for it. Salt Lake City, with the Wasatch range rising right behind the city, is a spectacular setting, and a New Year's Eve date makes it a full holiday-weekend trip.
Pair the game with the ski resorts an hour up the canyons, and you have a winter trip that is half sport, half mountain getaway.
At a glance
How it works
Tell us the event, your group, and what you want out of the trip. No checkout, no pressure.
We match you to the right package and seating, hold the rooms, and tell you honestly what it takes.
Tickets, hotel, and transfers are handled. You show up and enjoy the event.
Packages
A game ticket with a Salt Lake City hotel, or the premium version, with the option to add skiing. Quoted to your group.
Salt Lake City hotel · Downtown Salt Lake City
Priced on your call quoted to your group and dates
The core trip: outdoor hockey and a New Year's weekend in the mountains.
Ask about this packageUpgraded hotel or mountain lodging · Salt Lake City or the resorts
Priced on your call quoted to your group and dates
For the game plus a ski getaway. Priced to your plan and group.
Ask about this packagePrices are per person from the current published rate and are confirmed on your call. Airfare is not included. Final pricing depends on occupancy, hotel, and seating tier.
The fine print, up front
The weekend
Fly into Salt Lake City, an easy airport close to downtown and the mountains, and settle in for a holiday weekend.
Outdoor hockey on New Year's Eve at Rice-Eccles Stadium, mountains behind the rink and the cold part of the charm. Then ring in the new year in the city.
Included: Hospitality on premium tiers
Some of the best snow in the country is an hour up the canyons. An easy add on either side of the game.
In a football stadium
The Winter Classic is played on a rink at the center of a football stadium, so the seating is stadium-style around it.
The most accessible tickets, with a full view of the rink and the mountain backdrop, and the classic bundled-up outdoor-game experience.
Closer to the rink for a better look at the play, still very much part of the outdoor spectacle.
Heated club spaces and premium seating, a welcome comfort at an outdoor game on New Year's Eve. Quoted live.
It is outdoor hockey in Utah in December, so warmth is the priority whatever the tier. We send guidance on how to dress for the cold.
Planning
This is an outdoor game in the mountains at the end of December. Layers, warmth, and the right gear are the difference between a magical night and a miserable one, and we send specific guidance.
Confirmed as of July 2026.
Salt Lake City is one of the few host cities where world-class skiing is an hour away. Adding a day or two at the resorts turns the game into a full winter trip.
A December 31 date means holiday demand for hotels and flights. Booking early is how you get the dates and the location you want over a busy weekend.
Make a trip of it
FAQ
It is played on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2026, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. It is branded the 2027 Winter Classic as part of the 2026 to 2027 NHL season.
Yes. That is the whole idea: a regular-season game on a rink at the center of an outdoor football stadium, in the cold, with the Wasatch mountains behind it.
Absolutely, and you should. Some of the best snow in the country is an hour up the canyons, and adding a day or two at the resorts is easy.
For the cold. It is outdoor hockey in Utah in December, so layers and real winter gear matter at every seating tier. We send specific guidance.
Early. A New Year's Eve date brings holiday demand for Salt Lake City hotels and flights, so book ahead to get the dates and location you want.
You reserve your package with a per-person deposit and pay the balance on a set schedule, with final payment typically due 60 days before departure. Deposits and payments are non-refundable and non-transferable, so we recommend travel insurance to protect what you pay. Your booking is transacted by a licensed tour operator whose full written terms govern your trip, and no payment is taken through this website. The full terms are on our legal and disclosures page.
Yes. Package prices are quoted per person and depend on how many people share a room, so solo travelers and couples are quoted accordingly. Tell us your group and we will price it honestly.
Yes. We handle private groups, typically parties of eight or more, with dedicated coordination for the tickets, hotel, and logistics so everyone travels together smoothly.
Yes. We are a registered seller of travel, California CST 2155818-70 and Florida ST43282, a service of Early and Away Travel, LLC. Your booking is fulfilled by a licensed tour operator, and we earn a commission when you book.
Deposits and payments are non-refundable and non-transferable, and event tickets and hotel-only reservations are final once booked. If you cancel, any amount already paid cannot be refunded, which is why we strongly recommend travel insurance. If an event is postponed or cancelled, you receive updated tickets or a credit only to the extent the ticket or hotel vendor refunds the operator. The full terms are on our legal and disclosures page and are provided to you in writing before you book.
Why book with us
California CST 2155818-70 and Florida ST43282. A licensed agency, not a marketplace.
You talk to a person who has done this, not a call center or a checkout form.
Your booking is handled by a licensed tour operator, with clear deposit and payment terms on your call.
Advisory, not a checkout
These trips are easy to get wrong and expensive to get wrong. Start with a conversation.
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