NHL Reportedly Planning 2 Outdoor Games at Lake Tahoe During 2021 Season

The NHL is reportedly planning to hold a pair of outdoor games—the Colorado Avalanche vs. Vegas Golden Knights on Feb. 20 and the Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins on Feb. 21—at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort at Lake Tahoe in Nevada.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported Friday that the two-day showcase will be hosted around the 16th through 18th holes on the resort's famed golf course, which hosts an annual celebrity tournament. No fans will be in attendance, but the league plans to use technology such as drone cameras to enhance the viewing experience.

Lake Tahoe was picked based on its "natural wilderness," per Friedman. It's a scenic location that should make it feel like pond hockey, creating a unique atmosphere in a year when fan attendance is expected to remain limited or nonexistent depending on teams' local coronavirus guidelines.

The COVID-19 pandemic saw the NHL postpone the 2021 Winter Classic, which is typical held on New Year's Day, and the 2021 Stadium Series, which was scheduled for February.

Hosting those events in large stadiums without spectators wouldn't have made sense, and it would have been unfortunate for the host teams, the Minnesota Wild and Carolina Hurricanes, to not have their fans in attendance for the special occasions.

So the NHL has opted for a different type of environment in Lake Tahoe to maintain at least a few outdoor games on its 2021 schedule. They have become a major draw for the league since the first Winter Classic was held in Buffalo in 2008.

For now, holding games in a remote location without fans is a "one-year project," per Friedman. It's possible it becomes an annual occurrence like the Winter Classic and Stadium Series if it's successful, though.

Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada, and Park City, Utah, were also considered before the league selected Lake Tahoe, according to the Sportsnet report.

The 2021 season, which has been shortened to 56 games from its typical 82, is scheduled to begin Jan. 13 with restructured divisions in order to accommodate an all-Canadian grouping.

All four of the teams set to feature in the Lake Tahoe games are legitimate championship contenders heading into the new campaign.