Most attendance for NHL games: Where does Ohio Stadium rank in hockey history?

The NHL is continuing its Stadium Series in the 2024-2025 season. This year, the Blue Jackets and Red Wings will match up at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. 

The Stadium Series is the latest venture in getting the NHL some outdoor hockey games. The first one was the 2003 Heritage Classic, which featured the Oilers hosting the Canadiens at Commonwealth Stadium. 57,167 people were on hand for the event. As of 2002, the Bell Centre, which is the home of the Canadiens, was the largest NHL arena by capacity, and it sits 21,302 people. The Heritage Classic, even in 2003, had more than double the attendance of the biggest NHL arena.

The Stadium Series takes the same concept as the Heritage Classic and just puts the game inside a football stadium. Not only are more fans accommodated, but they are treated to the sights and sounds of watching an outdoor hockey game. 

Here is how the attendance for the 2025 Stadium Series game compares to other outdoor hockey games in history. 

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Red Wings vs. Blue Jackets attendance

The Red Wings are no strangers to outdoor games. Detroit has been a part of five outdoor games so far, with this year’s being the sixth. The Blue Jackets will be playing in their first outdoor game in franchise history. 

This section will be updated on game day. 

Ohio Stadium capacity

If you aren’t familiar with Ohio Stadium, it is where Ohio State plays its home football games. The home of the Buckeyes is a massive stadium to fit all of their fans and seats a whopping 102,780 people. This layout could be different with the way they have the rink set up, so the actual game attendance could vary from this number. 

Most attendance for NHL outdoor games

Here are all 42 outdoor hockey games ranked by highest attendance.