The NHL has seen something of a renaissance in recent years - buoyed by in-season additions/gimmicks like outdoor games, which have aided the sports turnaround via increased national exposure.
It seems that, until now, the almost exclusively eastern fad will be taking a small trip out west - Denver, Colorado and the Colorado Avalanche will "very likely" be one of the latest NHL franchises to host an outdoor game, according to two NHL sources, reported The Denver Post.
The game, which the Avalanche would play in, is expected to be part of the Coors Light NHL Stadium Series. It would be the first outdoor game for Denver since the NHL started what has become a wildly successful concept.
"We would love to have NHL games at Coors Field," said Greg Feasel, Rockies executive vice president and chief operating officer, according to The Post. "Right now, all the parties involved are still talking about it."
The game will not, however, be the Winter Classic showcase, which is held on New Year's Day and outpaces all other outdoor games in terms of sponsorships and television ratings. The first Winter Classic, which was also the inaugural outdoor game for the league, was held in 2008 in Buffalo.
Last season, the NHL played its most western outdoor game to date when the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks squared off at Dodger Stadium. Attendance was 54,099 for that game.
The Avalanche for their part are, and have been, very excited at the prospect of taking part in an outdoor affair.
"We hope to get a positive answer on that in the very near future. That's something that could be a distinct possibility for us, especially coinciding with the (team's) 20-year anniversary," team president Josh Kroenke previously said, according to The Post.
The Avalanche's opponent for the game has not yet been determined.
