Toronto councillor wants NHL to host outdoor game in the city. This is the venue he said would make for an ‘unforgettable backdrop’

The CN tower is seen through a partially open Rogers Centre dome as the Toronto Blue Jays take on the Minnesota Twins during MLB baseball action in Toronto, on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan

Toronto could soon play host to an outdoor NHL game.

In a motion that was presented and adopted at Executive Committee on Tuesday, Coun. Paul Ainslie is asking council to endorse Toronto as a host city for a “major outdoor” matchup, similar to the league’s Stadium Series, next year.

“The year 2027 marks the 100th anniversary of the Toronto Hockey Club officially becoming the Toronto Maple Leafs, making this an ideal time to host a major NHL outdoor event in our city,” the Scarborough-Guildwood representative said in a letter dated Jan. 6.

The motion, which he described as a “straightforward request” in an email to CTV News Toronto, directs the City Manager and Economic Development staff to begin conversations with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the NHL, and Rogers about the “possibility” of hosting such an event.

The NHL has never hosted a Stadium Series game in Toronto, or Canada for that matter. The city did host the NHL’s Centennial Classic outdoors at BMO Field in 2017 to mark both the league and the Toronto Hockey Club’s birthdays, however.

But Ainslie has bigger plans for any future outdoor NHL games in the city.

“The game could take place at the Rogers Centre with the roof open, providing a magnificent view of the CN Tower and Toronto’s city skyline—creating an unforgettable backdrop for fans and global broadcasts or another iconic outdoor stadium.”

In a statement, an NHL spokesperson said of the motion: “We certainly would be open to playing another outdoor game in Toronto at an appropriate time and under appropriate conditions. The last one we played there was terrific.”

The Stadium Series, like the Winter Classic and Heritage Classic, is an annual outdoor event which has been exclusively played at stadiums in the United States since it started in 2014. There is already a Stadium Series game planned in 2027 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, but the league has hosted two games in a single year in the past.

Ainslie told CTV News that there is no commitment, financial approval or obligation attached to the request and the motion does not ask the NHL to add a second Stadium Series game next year.

“This is just the first step—doing the due diligence and determining whether hosting an outdoor game in Toronto is feasible as we look ahead to the Maple Leaf’s 100th anniversary in 2027," he said.

The councillor said a Stadium Series game, or equivalent, would highlight the city’s historic connection to hockey and provide a substantial economic impact through tourism, hospitality and local business.

The motion will be considered by city council at its next meeting later this month.