NHL outdoor game in Europe coming in ‘relatively near future,’ Daly says 

MUNICH, Germany -- An outdoor NHL game in Europe is on the not-so-distant horizon.

As the League continues its efforts to grow the sport overseas, including playing regular-season games in Helsinki, Finland and Düsseldorf, Germany this season, an outdoor game would seem to be the natural next step. 

“I think it's going to happen, for sure,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told NHL.com at the European Player Media Tour in Munich on Friday. “When it's going to happen, I couldn't tell you, but I would say relatively near future would be a good guess.”

After the NHL announced Thursday a new partnership with FC Bayern Munich, Germany’s biggest and most successful club soccer team, Daly suggested that the team’s home stadium, Allianz Arena, could someday host an outdoor NHL game. Allianz Arena seats 75,000 fans for soccer.

When asked Friday if Germany would be among top contenders to host an NHL outdoor game, Daly replied, “Yeah, I think that's fair.” 

In recent seasons, the NHL has most regularly visited Sweden and Finland.  This season, the 2026 NHL Global Series Finland between the Carolina Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken will be held at Veikkaus Arena in Helsinki on Nov. 12 and 14. The League has committed to holding regular-season games in Germany in each of the upcoming three seasons, beginning with the Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks playing in the 2026 NHL Global Series Germany on Dec. 18 and 20, at PSD Bank Dome in Düsseldorf. 

During the 2027-28 season, Munich will host a pair of games at SAP Garden, featuring the Boston Bruins and Munich native JJ Peterka against an opponent to be determined, and Cologne will host two games at Lanxess Arena, featuring the Edmonton Oilers and Cologne native Leon Draisaitl against an opponent to be determined.

The NHL has yet to announce its plans for games in Germany during 2028-29 season.

Draisaitl and Peterka each were excited about the possibility of an outdoor NHL game being played in their home country.

“That would be incredible” Draisaitl said. “That would be an absolute highlight for anyone.”

“I just hope I’ll be part of it,” Peterka said.

On other topics: 
-- Daly said invitations to the eight countries selected to compete in the 2028 World Cup of Hockey will “hopefully” be sent out sometime during the upcoming season. Whether Russia will be among the participants is still to be determined.

“Players that play in NHL, they tell me all this time they want to play in these tournaments, but sometimes some of this is beyond our control,” said Marty Walsh, executive director of NHL Players Association.

-- The NHL continues to work on plans to add an expansion franchise in Houston or Austin, Texas, with the League’s 33rd team potentially beginning play in the 2029-30 season, Daly said. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced following a meeting of the Board of Governors on June 23 that the League would open a six-month evaluation process with the Friedkin family, led by Dan Friedkin, the CEO of The Friedkin Group, as the prospective owner of the Texas expansion franchise.

“We expect to reconnect with The Friedkin Group next month to get an update on kind of what's transpired since we made this announcement,” Daly said. 

Commissioner Bettman said in June that the Friedkin family would invest approximately $3.5 billion in establishing the franchise, which includes the expansion fee that goes to the NHL and the cost of building a new arena.