(Photo credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images)

Buffalo appears set to return to the NHL's outdoor stage, this time in a brand-new home.

League commissioner Gary Bettman was in town Monday to unveil Buffalo as the host of the 2026 NHL Draft and made it clear that the Bills' new Highmark Stadium will host a future outdoor game.

'I have to go for a tour, which I will do,' Bettman said of the Orchard Park venue. 'But we're coming for an outdoor game in the new stadium. Just a question of when.'

With the building slated to open later this year for the 2026 NFL season, league planning suggests a Sabres showcase in 2028, likely a Stadium Series game in February or March, according to Front Office Sports. This timeline would mark the 20th anniversary of the NHL's first Winter Classic, which was played across the street at the then-Ralph Wilson Stadium on Jan. 1, 2008.

A New Year's Day game in Orchard Park is unlikely, taking hosting the Winter Classic off the table. The NFL schedule now stretches deep into January and could expand further if the league moves to an 18-game slate, one reason the Winter Classic hasn't landed at an NFL venue since 2016. A Stadium Series game avoids those conflicts and still delivers the spectacle.

The Sabres seem to be a good fit for the outdoor game. Under new GM Jarmo Kekalainen they have fresh momentum, and Terry Pegula owns both the Sabres and Bills.

'This is a great sports town, a great hockey market,' Bettman said. 'The reception we get here is always terrific. ... We've got a great organization with great ownership. All the factors that you would take into account, the boxes are checked.'

National TV audiences for recent Winter Classics have shrunk, but local demand remains strong, and the NHL continues to expand its outdoor calendar. This season included the Winter Classic earlier this month and a Stadium Series game at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 1 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins. Next year brings the Winter Classic to Utah, the Heritage Classic back to Winnipeg and a Stadium Series game at AT&T Stadium in Texas.

--Field Level Media