Outdoor hockey? What a concept! Between the Winter Classic, Stadium Series, and Heritage Classic, the NHL has now hosted 41 outdoor regular-season games; each with its unique feel and backstory.  

Sunday afternoon – more like Sunday evening by the time the game ended thanks to an earlier sun glare delay – the Islanders and Rangers contested an outdoor rematch 10 years in the making. These teams originally met at Yankee Stadium, in 2014, for their first Stadium Series clash. Now, in 2024, they’ve again met in the Stadium Series, but this time, the game was played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. 

10-years ago, in the hallowed confines of one of baseball’s cathedrals, the Rangers pulled out a 2-1 win over the Islanders in front of 50,027 fans. Now, 10 years later, the Blueshirts doubled down with a chaotic, come-from-behind, 6-5 win in overtime. And this time, they turned the trick in a football stadium where the hometown fans don’t often see either of their teams pull off a win. Oh and one more thing, the announced attendance was 79,690 – quite an impressive increase.

Heading into the game – as well as during it – several storylines caught peoples’ attention.

First, the Rangers entered the game looking to become the first team in NHL history to win five outdoor contests. (They’d previously won the Winter Classic in 2012 and 2018. They also reigned supreme in two Stadium Series games in 2014). Well, thanks to strong games from Vincent Trocheck (2G, 1A), Alexis Lafrenière (2A), Artemi Panarin (1G, 2A), Chris Kreider (1G), Adam Fox (2A), Erik Gustafsson (1G) and Mika Zibanejad (1G), the Rangers not only managed to become the first team in NHL history to win five outdoor games, but they also became the first team to overcome a three-goal deficit outdoors. Quite the day for the Broadway Sextet. 

Of course, the phrase “strong games” doesn’t quite do this contest justice. By the 1:03 mark of the second period, the Rangers were down 4-1. If the 40 previous outdoor games tell us anything it’s that teams don’t come back from that type of deficit when there’s no roof. 

“We wouldn’t have written it up this way, to go down 3-1 halfway through the first period,” Peter Laviolette explained. “The first period, for me, wasn’t quite where it needed to be. We needed to defend better than what we were doing. But, more importantly, I thought that we needed to play a faster game that generated more offense.”

The Rangers certainly took that message to heart, especially late in the third period as they erased a two-goal deficit in the final 4:02 of regulation before Artemi Panarin scored the game-winner 10 seconds into overtime.

“The atmosphere was incredible and to win in the way we did was incredible,” Mika Zibanejad said. 

“Honestly, I don’t remember the goal very well at this point,” Artemi Panarin said through a translator, “just ’cause I got flooded with a wave of emotions and excitement. But I’m 80% sure that the puck crossed the line and it was a goal.”

Another storyline to follow was Matt Rempe, the Rangers’ towering 6-8 rookie winger, who not only took his second rookie lap, but also made his NHL Debut – exactly six years to the day since his dad passed away. It was an emotional 24 hours for Rempe and one he will fondly look back on. Fun fact, his first shift was served in the penalty box after he and Matt Martin dropped the gloves for a “Welcome to The NHL” fight. (Rempe appeared to be the winner by a slight margin). 

It’s important to note, that before this scrap, the Rangers and Islanders hadn’t fought in two years. I guess the rivalry is officially back.

“(Matt Rempe) came in here and he did exactly what we wanted him to do. He provided some size, some physicality,” Peter Laviolette told the media. “He had some good shifts on his line in the offensive zone. Kudos to (Matt) Martin for giving him his first one here. It was a heck of a fight. You don’t see it very much in an outdoor game, but, if you think about Rempe’s path and this being his first game, on a memorable day for him and then dropping the gloves with a guy who’s been around in this league and has fought a lot of fights, I thought that was awesome. I mean he couldn’t have had a better night.”

Some Islanders storylines included Brock Nelson entering the game as the only Islanders player to ever score a goal in an outdoor game. So, when Nelson tied the game 1-1 at 4:20 of the first period, it kept that fun fact intact. But that distinction was soon taken away from Nelson as Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal scored first period goals of their own before Anders Lee and Alexander Romanov tacked on goals in the second and third periods respectively. Nelson may have enjoyed his little factoid for 10 years, but he’ll happily welcome his teammates into the club. However, he would have been happier if the club’s expansion would have resulted in an Islanders’ win.

Of note, the NHL made a special announcement during the first intermission. The Islanders will host the All-Star Game in 2026, as a prelude to the Winter Olympics in Italy. It will be the first time the Isles host The League’s mid-season event since 1983. Get your railroad tickets ready now, because the traffic on the Cross Island Parkway is sure to be a nightmare.

If that all seemed like a lot was going on, well, there was. But that’s sort of the point. The NHL holds these outdoor spectacles, at least, in part, to draw attention to the sport. And one way to draw in that focus is to have a lot going on. That strategy works. After the Flyers and Devils drew 70,328 fans Saturday night, the Rangers and Islanders upped the ante to a whopping 79,690. 

To put that in perspective, the Islanders and Rangers drew the third-largest crowd for an NHL outdoor game in history and the largest for a non-Winter Classic game. Oh and for some added context, the NY Jets and NY Giants – MetLife Stadium’s two primary tenants – averaged 77,890 and 79,309 fans respectively during the 2023 season. 

“Being this close to home and having that many fans is just, it gets exciting,” Mika Zibanejad explained. “When we score, hearing the crowd singing the goal song and just getting into the game, there’s just a lot of energy around. It’s fun to play these games.”

Peter Laviolette and Patrick Roy both admitted prior to the contest that the game is a spectacle and the attendance figures proved them right. After the game, only one of them was still in a good mood.

When pressed for his thoughts about how the spectacle unfolded, Laviolette said, “It was a perfect night. Ice was great. The weather was great. (The) two teams played hard. They (The Islanders) had their moments and we had our moments.”

“I think The League does a really good job of picking opponents and picking venues,” Laviolette continued. “I was involved in one last year and they did a fantastic job down in Raleigh. I think they picked the right opponents to play against each other. The venue couldn’t have been better. I can’t thank the Jets and Giants (enough) for letting us use the stadium here and fill it with our fans. It was a great night for hockey and I think The League is pretty on point with what they do.”

“Warm ups were even a little weird,” Adam Fox added. “You’re just in such a different environment and I just wanted to get by the first two shifts. I think, after that, the first five, six minutes for myself, I kind of settled in and after that, you just adjust to the different environment. 70,000 plus Rangers Faithful stuck with us. We heard them and it was awesome. I mean, such a cool experience, and obviously to get the win is a major plus.”

Outdoor games may come around a few times per season, but it’s not often they come to the New York/New Jersey area. Therefore, it’s a little extra special for the players, coaches, and fans of these franchises when the NHL decides to bring events like this to the area. Hopefully, the NHL will take note of the historic attendance marks and bring these outdoor games to New York and New Jersey on a more consistent basis.