Penn State’s Beaver Stadium has always been viewed as a potential venue for an outdoor hockey game. It would be the perfect location for a clash between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins, who have each hosted a Stadium Series game between the two teams at the Eagles and Steelers stadiums.
Beaver Stadium is set to host an outdoor game this season, and the Flyers will be involved — well, in a way. The Penn State Nittany Lions will host the Michigan State Spartans in Happy Valley on January 31, 2026.
“This is a historic moment for Penn State Hockey, our fans and the entire Penn State community,” said Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft. “To bring the excitement of college hockey to Beaver Stadium is truly special. Having our men’s program face a premier Big Ten opponent in Michigan State and our women’s program face Robert Morris on this stage reflects the incredible growth and national profile of Penn State Hockey and provides an unforgettable experience for our student-athletes, alumni and fans. We can’t wait to see Hockey Valley come alive in Beaver Stadium.”
Beaver Stadium is the second-largest stadium in the United States, with a capacity of over 106,000.
The only larger stadium is Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, which set the record for most fans at a hockey game with 113,411 announced (104,173 certified) for The Big Chill at the Big House between Michigan and Michigan State back on December 11, 2010. The NHL then headed there for the 2014 Winter Classic between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, with an announced crowd of 105,491 (104,173 certified).
This is sure to be one for the ages with top NHL talent on both sides.
Michigan State, of course, is where top Flyers prospect Porter Martone is set to play his freshman season this fall. The 2025 sixth overall pick opted to go the collegiate route to continue his development before turning pro, which will still likely happen after the Spartans’ season ends.
Martone isn’t the only Flyers draft pick at Michigan State, though, with second-round selection Shane Vansaghi returning for his sophomore season. Vansaghi put up 16 points (6 goals, 10 assists) in 37 games last season, gaining confidence and ice time as the season moved along in his freshman year.
On the Penn State side of things, Gavin McKenna will be well into his freshman year by the time this outdoor clash takes place. He’s the unanimous No. 1 selection in next year’s NHL Draft, and his stock could rise even higher by late January.
Who knows, maybe the Flyers could luck into the No. 1 pick in 2026, and this could turn out to be a matchup between the future of hockey in Philadelphia.
