The 2024 NHL Stadium Series will reportedly feature the New Jersey Devils vs. the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers vs. the New York Islanders at MetLife Stadium.
The 2023-24 season will continue the tradition of the outdoor NHL Stadium Series. David Pagnotta reported on Tuesday that the series is expected to take place in February 2024 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The games will be held on back-to-back days featuring the New Jersey Devils vs. the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers vs. the New York Islanders. All four teams are part of the Metropolitan Division.
In the 2022-23 season, the NHL hosted two outdoor games. The games featured the Boston Bruins vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins in January's Winter Classic and the Carolina Hurricanes vs. the Washington Capitals in February's Stadium Series.
Which NHL teams have the most experience with the NHL Stadium Series?
Among the four teams participating next season, the Flyers have played in five outdoor games in their team's history, the Rangers have played in four, and the Devils and Islanders have each only participated in one outdoor game. The Devils' only outdoor game was a 7-3 loss to the Rangers in 2014 at Yankee Stadium. The Rangers played in both games of that Stadium Series, defeating the Islanders 2–1.
The Yankee Stadium games featuring the Rangers/Devils and Rangers/Islanders in 2014 each had about 50,000 fans in attendance. The capacity of MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Giants and the New York Jets, is 82,500. With MetLife hosting this series, the attendance will be much larger.
Of the four teams set to play in the 2024 Stadium Series, the Flyers are the only team that did not make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2022-23. The Devils beat the Rangers in Round 1 of the playoffs before being eliminated by the Hurricanes. The Islanders were eliminated in Round 1 by the Hurricanes.
The Devils and Islanders were two teams that exceeded expectations in the 2022-23 season. During the regular season, the Devils held the third-best record in the NHL after a decade-long rebuild. Their win over the Rangers in the playoffs was the first playoff series win for the Devils since 2012. The Isles punched a wild card ticket with a new head coach during a season riddled with injuries after missing the playoffs in 2021-22.
While the Rangers had a strong regular season, tallying 107 points, their early exit from the playoffs was disappointing for a team that expected to go further. The organization parted with head coach Gerard Gallant, and they're currently looking to fill the vacant position. The Flyers had the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference. While the team is undergoing a rebuild, their participation in the 2024 Stadium Series gives Flyers fans something to be excited about.
Hockey fans look forward to the opportunity to see their favorite team play in a Stadium Series. Fans of the Devils, Flyers, Rangers, and Islanders are in for a treat next February. Until then, fans will eagerly await further news about the NHL Stadium Series.