NHL Reportedly Hosting Two Outdoor Games in Lake Tahoe During the 2021 Season

The NHL is reportedly planning to host two outdoor games – the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights on February 20 and the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins on February 21 – at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort in Lake Tahoe in Nevada.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Friday that the two-day show would be hosted at approximately 16 to 18 venues at the prestigious stadium, where the annual celebrity competition is being held. No fans will be present, but the league plans to use technology such as drone cameras to improve viewing experience.

Lake Tahoe was taken from its “natural desert”, to each Friedman. It’s a great place to make it sound like a hockey pool, creating a unique atmosphere throughout the year where fan attendance is expected to always be limited or not based on local coronavirus guidelines.

The COVID-19 epidemic saw the NHL postpone the 2021 Winter Classic, a typical New Year’s Day, and the 2021 Stadium Series, scheduled for February.

Hosting such events in large stadiums without spectators would have made no sense, and it would have been unfortunate for the ruling parties, Minnesota Wild and Carolina Hurricanes, not to have their fans at special events.

So the NHL has chosen a different kind of environment at Lake Tahoe to keep at least a few outdoor games in its 2021 plan. They have become a major player in the league since the first Winter Classic was held in Buffalo in 2008.

At the moment, hosting games in a remote area without fans is a “one-year job,” with each Friedman. It could be something that happens every year like Winter Classic and Stadium Series if it succeeds, though.

Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada, and Park City, Utah, are also being considered before the league selects Lake Tahoe, according to a Sportsnet report.

The 2021 season, which has reached 56 games from its 82nd regular season, is scheduled to start on January 13 with rescheduled stages to accommodate the entire Canadian team.

All four teams that will appear in the Lake Tahoe Games are the official opponents of the new campaign.