Benson Boone Booked to Headline 2027 NHL Winter Classic in Salt Lake City

Pop singer Benson Boone has been booked to headline the 2027 Discover NHL Winter Classic, the league's outdoor hockey game, according to Billboard.

The game will be played at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Dec. 31 at 6 p.m. ET. It pits the Utah Mammoth against the Colorado Avalanche. For the Mammoth, it is a first. The team joined the NHL as an expansion franchise in 2024, and this will be its first Winter Classic. It also makes the Mammoth the 32nd NHL franchise to take part in the event.

Boone will perform during the first intermission. An intermission is the break between periods of play, when fans usually get up for food, drinks or a walk around the concourse. A stadium show during that break puts the music in front of the whole crowd in the building.

The game will be shown in the United States on TNT, HBO Max and truTV. In Canada, it will air on Sportsnet and TVAS. Viewers in both countries will be able to watch the performance as part of the broadcast.

Boone's booking follows a pattern. The Winter Classic has regularly paired its outdoor games with a musical act during intermission and pregame, turning a hockey match into a live event for people who may never have watched a full game. For the crew, that means a large stage, sound and lighting build in a cold, open venue, and a schedule that has to fit around the game itself.

Winter Classic events are big, one-night productions, and the planning on both the hockey and music side usually runs for months. Details such as set length, production and any additional performers were not part of the announcement. Those details are likely to follow as the date gets closer.

For fans in Salt Lake City and beyond, the key facts are simple. The game is on New Year's Eve, the venue is Rice Eccles Stadium, and Benson Boone will be on stage during the first intermission.