List of ice hockey games with highest attendance

This is a list of ice hockey games with the highest attendance on record. All of the games on this list were held in stadiums designed for field sports such as association football, gridiron football, and baseball. Four of the "games" listed were actually doubleheaders, in which a single ticket provided admission to two games held back-to-back. The fixed-roof Ford Field in Detroit hosted one doubleheader and a single game, and another was held at the retractable-roof Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany (with the roof closed for that game); all other games on the list were held in open-air venues. Most of these games were staged as special events, and all but one were played in the 21st century.

Attendance in the 30,000 range was once quite common for major international matches held outdoors in the 1940s and 50s in Moscow's Lenin Stadium. Figures of this type are still common in bandy, a relative of ice hockey played outdoors.

The record for a Stanley Cup playoff game, as well as for an NHL game played in a teams' regular home stadium, is 28,183, which was set on April 23, 1996, at the Thunderdome during a Tampa Bay Lightning – Philadelphia Flyers game.[1]

A new record was set on December 11, 2010, when the University of Michigan's men's ice hockey team faced cross-state rival Michigan State in an event billed as "The Big Chill at the Big House". The game was played at Michigan's football venue, Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, with a capacity of 109,901, as of the 2010 football season. Ultimately, a crowd announced by the University of Michigan as 113,411, at that time the largest in the stadium's history (including football), saw the homestanding Wolverines win 5–0. Guinness World Records, using a count of ticketed fans who actually entered the stadium instead of UM's figure of tickets sold, announced a final figure of 104,173.[2][3]

Rank Attendance Location Date Event Home team Final score Visiting team
1 113,411 (announced)[3]
104,173 (certified)[2]		 United States Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor December 11, 2010 The Big Chill at the Big House Michigan Wolverines (men) 5–0 Michigan State Spartans (men)
2 105,491 (announced)[4]
< 104,173 (certified)[5]		 United States Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor January 1, 2014 2014 NHL Winter Classic Detroit Red Wings 2–3 (SO) Toronto Maple Leafs
3 85,630[6] United States Cotton Bowl, Dallas January 1, 2020 2020 NHL Winter Classic Dallas Stars 4-2 Nashville Predators
4 79,690[7] United States MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford February 18, 2024 2024 NHL Stadium Series New York Islanders 5–6 (OT) New York Rangers
5 77,803[8] Germany Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen May 7, 2010 2010 IIHF World Championship  United States 1–2 (OT)  Germany[9]
6 74,554[10] United States Spartan Stadium, East Lansing October 6, 2001 Cold War Michigan State Spartans (men) 3–3 Michigan Wolverines (men)
7 71,381[11] Russia Gazprom Arena, Saint Petersburg December 16, 2018 Euro Hockey Tour  Russia 5–0  Finland
8 71,217[12] United States Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park January 1, 2008 2008 NHL Winter Classic Buffalo Sabres 1–2 (SO) Pittsburgh Penguins
9 70,328[13] United States MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford February 17, 2024 2024 NHL Stadium Series New Jersey Devils 6–3 Philadelphia Flyers
10 70,205[14] United States Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California February 21, 2015 2015 NHL Stadium Series San Jose Sharks 1–2 Los Angeles Kings
11 69,620 United States Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia February 23, 2019 2019 NHL Stadium Series Philadelphia Flyers 4–3 (OT) Pittsburgh Penguins
12 68,619[15] United States Nissan Stadium, Nashville February 26, 2022 2022 NHL Stadium Series Nashville Predators 2–3 Tampa Bay Lightning
13 68,111[16] United States Heinz Field, Pittsburgh January 1, 2011 2011 NHL Winter Classic Pittsburgh Penguins 1–3 Washington Capitals
14 67,877[17] Russia Gazprom Arena, Saint Petersburg December 15, 2019 Euro Hockey Tour  Russia 2–0  Finland
15 67,318[18] United States Heinz Field, Pittsburgh February 25, 2017 2017 NHL Stadium Series Pittsburgh Penguins 4–2 Philadelphia Flyers
16 67,246[19] United States Gillette Stadium, Foxborough January 1, 2016 2016 NHL Winter Classic Boston Bruins 1–5 Montreal Canadiens
17 62,921 United States Soldier Field, Chicago March 1, 2014 2014 NHL Stadium Series Chicago Blackhawks 5–1 Pittsburgh Penguins
18 57,167[20] Canada Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton November 22, 2003 2003 Heritage Classic Edmonton Oilers 3–4 Montreal Canadiens
19 56,961 United States Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh February 18, 2023 2023 NHL Stadium Series Carolina Hurricanes 4–1 Washington Capitals
20 55,411 Canada Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton October 29, 2023 2023 NHL Heritage Classic Edmonton Oilers 5–2 Calgary Flames
21 55,031[21] United States Camp Randall Stadium, Madison February 6, 2010 Camp Randall Hockey Classic Wisconsin Badgers (women) 6–1 Bemidji State Beavers (women)
Wisconsin Badgers (men) 3–2 Michigan Wolverines (men)
22 55,000[10] Soviet Union Lenin Stadium, Moscow March 5, 1957 1957 Ice Hockey World Championships  Soviet Union 4–4  Sweden
23 54,194 Canada BC Place, Vancouver March 2, 2014 2014 NHL Heritage Classic Vancouver Canucks 2–4 Ottawa Senators
24 54,099 United States Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles January 25, 2014 2014 NHL Stadium Series Los Angeles Kings 0–3 Anaheim Ducks
25 52,051 United States Soldier Field, Chicago February 17, 2013 OfficeMax Hockey City Classic Notre Dame Fighting Irish (men) 2–1 Miami RedHawks (men)
Wisconsin Badgers (men) 3–2 Minnesota Golden Gophers (men)
26 51,125[22] Germany ESPRIT arena, Düsseldorf January 10, 2015 2015 DEL Winter Game Düsseldorfer EG 3–2 Kölner Haie
27 50,426 United States TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis February 21, 2016 2016 NHL Stadium Series Minnesota Wild 6–1 Chicago Blackhawks
28 50,105 United States Yankee Stadium, New York City January 26, 2014 2014 NHL Stadium Series New Jersey Devils 3–7 New York Rangers
29 50,095 United States Coors Field, Denver February 27, 2016 2016 NHL Stadium Series Colorado Avalanche 3–5 Detroit Red Wings
30 50,027 United States Yankee Stadium, New York City January 29, 2014 2014 NHL Stadium Series New York Islanders 1–2 New York Rangers
31 50,000[23] Germany Stadion Nürnberg, Nuremberg January 5, 2013 2013 DEL Winter Game Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers 4–3 Eisbären Berlin
32 47,313[24] United States T-Mobile Park, Seattle January 1, 2024 2024 NHL Winter Classic Seattle Kraken 3–0 Vegas Golden Knights
33 47,011[25] Germany RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne January 12, 2019 2019 DEL Winter Game Kölner Haie 2–3 (OT) Düsseldorfer EG
34 46,967[26] United States Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia January 2, 2012 2012 NHL Winter Classic Philadelphia Flyers 2–3 New York Rangers
35 46,556 United States Busch Stadium, St. Louis January 2, 2017 2017 NHL Winter Classic St. Louis Blues 4–1 Chicago Blackhawks
36 45,808[27] United States Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia December 31, 2011 NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game Philadelphia Flyers Alumni 3–1 New York Rangers Alumni
37 45,653[28] United States Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia January 6, 2012 2012 AHL Outdoor Classic Adirondack Phantoms 4–3 (OT) Hershey Bears
38 45,523 United States FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland February 18, 2023 Faceoff on the Lake Ohio State Buckeyes (men) 4–2 Michigan Wolverines (men)
39 45,021[29] United States TCF Stadium, Minneapolis January 17, 2014 2014 Hockey City Classic Minnesota Gophers (men) 1–0 Ohio State Buckeyes (men)
40 44,592[30] United States Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park December 29, 2017 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships  United States 4-3 (SO)  Canada
41 42,832[31] United States Nationals Park, Washington, D.C. January 1, 2015 2015 NHL Winter Classic Washington Capitals 3–2 Chicago Blackhawks
42 41,022[32] Canada McMahon Stadium, Calgary February 20, 2011 2011 Heritage Classic Calgary Flames 4-0 Montreal Canadiens
43 40,890[33] United States Lambeau Field, Green Bay February 13, 2006 Frozen Tundra Hockey Classic Wisconsin Badgers (men) 4–2 Ohio State Buckeyes (men)
44 40,818[34] United States Wrigley Field, Chicago January 1, 2009 2009 NHL Winter Classic Chicago Blackhawks 4–6 Detroit Red Wings
45 40,163[35] Germany RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne December 3, 2022 2022 DEL Winter Game Kölner Haie 4–2 Adler Mannheim
46 38,472[36] United States Fenway Park, Boston January 8, 2010 Frozen Fenway Northeastern Huskies (women) 3–5 New Hampshire Wildcats (women)
Boston College Eagles (men) 2–3 Boston University Terriers (men)
47 38,456[37] United States Fenway Park, Boston January 7, 2012 Frozen Fenway 2012 UMass Minutemen (men) 3–2 (OT) Vermont Catamounts (men)
Maine Black Bears (men) 5-4 (OT) New Hampshire Wildcats (men)
48 38,112 United States Fenway Park, Boston January 1, 2010 2010 NHL Winter Classic Boston Bruins 2–1 (OT) Philadelphia Flyers
49 37,592[38] United States Ford Field, Detroit April 10, 2010 2010 NCAA Men's Hockey Championship Game Boston College Eagles (men) 5–0 Wisconsin Badgers (men)
50 36,644[39] Finland Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki February 5, 2011 2011 SM-liiga Winter Classic (Talviklassikko) Jokerit 3–4 HIFK
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