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Citi Field (Photo Credit: Daniel Amoia / The Hockey Writers)

5 Cool Locations for a Future New Jersey Devils 'Specialty Game'

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Daniel Amoia | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 4:50 PM ET

The National Hockey League (NHL) has held outdoor games going all the way back to 1954, when the Detroit Red Wings faced the Marquette Pirates, a club composed of inmates from Marquette Branch Prison in Michigan. From Winter Classics to Stadium Series events and some in between, outdoor games are a great way to bring a bigger audience to hockey.

The New Jersey Devils have played in two outdoor games in their history: 2014 (Yankee Stadium, loss to New York Rangers) and 2024 (MetLife Stadium, win against Philadelphia Flyers). They’ve also played a handful of indoor “specialty games”, including two recent Global Series trips to Europe to kick off their season in 2018 (Sweden) and 2024 (Czechia). Their next specialty contest will be against the Ottawa Senators for a preseason showdown in Quebec on Sep. 28. Here are five fun locations for a future specialty game:

Citi Field – Flushing, New York | Regular Season vs. New York Rangers

Citi Field, home of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) New York Mets, has already successfully hosted an NHL game. The Stadium Series contests at MetLife Stadium did extremely well, and the stakes would only be heightened with the Devils and Rangers rivalry coming to Citi.

The stadium holds 41,821 for hockey and has recently been upgraded with all sorts of LED lights and a massive jumbotron measuring in at a whopping 1,617 square meters – the largest in North American professional baseball. The fan experience would be tremendous here.

SHI Stadium – New Brunswick, New Jersey | Regular Season vs. Philadelphia Flyers

SHI Stadium, home to Rutgers University’s football team, has never hosted an NHL game but would be an excellent location for one. As Rutgers is the biggest school in the state, it would be a similar atmosphere to the very successful Columbus Blue Jackets/Detroit Red Wings game at Ohio State in 2025.

The stadium capacity is listed at 52,454. Not only would it be big for Devils fans who live in New Jersey, but SHI Stadium is just over an hour away from Philly, making it a reasonable trek for many Flyers fans.

American Dream Mall – East Rutherford, New Jersey | Preseason vs. Any Opponent

If you’re from New Jersey, you’d know that it’s almost a miracle that American Dream Mall was completed after being built for what seemed like an eternity (16 years). Inside of American Dream lies an NHL-sized ice rink that is often used for public skating. The Metropolitan Riveters of the Premier Hockey Federation used to play there, and the mall recently hosted the Dream Nations Cup.

Jeremy Thompson, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The mall would likely have to be shut down for this event and tickets would have to be very limited, likely via raffle, which is why it’s better to do it for preseason. But it would be an iconic moment in New Jersey’s history and bring eyes to a mall that has somewhat flown under the radar despite the massive production it entailed.

Coors Field – Denver, Colorado | Regular Season vs. Colorado Avalanche

Coors Field, home to MLB’s Colorado Rockies, is a perfect stage for the local team (Avalanche) to face a Devils team that was once called…the Colorado Rockies. The stadium already successfully hosted an NHL contest between the Avs and Red Wings in 2016, with a hockey capacity of 50,095.

Thelastcanadian, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

There’s no question that the Devils should wear their Colorado Rockies jerseys for this contest. Between the Devils’ history and a tremendous setting for the Avalanche, it would be a perfect location. And besides, fans who root for the MLB’s Rockies and NHL’s Avalanche are in dire need of watching a winning team at Coors; MLB’s Rockies are 6-27 at home this season.

Scotiabank Centre – Halifax, Nova Scotia | Preseason vs. Any Opponent

Scotiabank Centre is home to the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), which also happens to be where Devils’ star forwards Timo Meier and Nico Hischier played as teenagers. Just as the Devils are playing in Quebec this preseason, Halifax would be another great option down the road.

As long as Meier and Hischier are still Devils, this would be a special homecoming for them. It would also help familiarize American fans with the Canadian junior hockey system.

Specialty Games

Do you think the NHL should have more (or fewer) specialty games? Or is their current balance fine? Let us know in the comments, as well as any unmentioned locations that you think would be great.