NHL Announces 2016 Stadium Series and World Cup

The NHL just announced the 2016 schedule for the Winter Classic and the Stadium Series along with the long-rumored return of the World Cup.

The 2016 outdoor game schedule is as follows:

• Winter Classic - Jan 1, 2016 - Montreal Canadiens at Boston Bruins
• Stadium Series - February 21, 2016 - Chicago Blackhawks at Minnesota Wild
• Stadium Series - February 27, 2016 - Detroit Red Wings at Colorado Avalanche
  

The only game we care about will be hosted at Coors Field (duh).

The 2016 World Cup will be played in Toronto running from September 17 to October 1. The tournament will feature 8 teams - United States, Russia, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Euro Leftovers, and the North American U-23 team. The tournament will feature 3 preliminary games for each team, as well as a 3 game round robin stage before ending in a knockout style tournament. The final will be a best-of-3.

Another announcement made in today's NHL equivalent of the State of the Union by commissioner Gary Bettman included news they are working on a Ryder Cup-style tournament in 2018 between top North Americans and Europeans in a best-of-5 or best-of-7 format.

Bettman also provided updates on the impact the declining Canadian dollar will have on the salary cap ("minimal") and said the Las Vegas expansion ticket drive will begin in a few short weeks and his recent talks with Seattle officials concluded the arena situation is currently "uncertain at best".