The league announced the game on February 17, 2024, during the first game of the previous season's Stadium Series. The league will return to only staging one Stadium Series per season instead of two. NHL executives had contemplated holding an outdoor game at Ohio Stadium since visiting the venue in November 2022. This would be the Columbus Blue Jackets' first outdoor game, while it would be the Detroit Red Wings' fourth. The choice of the opponents reflects the Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry, itself reflecting the rivalry between the states of Michigan and Ohio since the Toledo War.[1][2] This initially left the Florida Panthers and the expansion Utah Hockey Club as the only teams to have not played an outdoor game;[3] however, on January 8, 2025, it was announced that the Panthers will play the New York Rangers in the 2026 NHL Winter Classic at LoanDepot Park, leaving Utah as the only team to have not played an outdoor game.[4]
The 2025 NHL Stadium Series shortly before the opening faceoff.
O.A.R. performed with The Ohio State University Athletic Band with at the pregame concert, while Columbus-based alternative rock duo Twenty One Pilots performed during the first intermission.[5][6] The national anthem was performed by the Athletic Band accompanied by deaf performer Elyssa Williams in American Sign Language. Script Ohio on Ice was also performed by the Athletic Band.[7]
The game aired in the United States on ESPN and was streamed on ESPN+ and Disney+. After airing the last three Stadium Series games, ESPN's sister channel ABC was unavailable to carry this year's game due to NBA commitments. The ESPN feed was simulcast in Canada on FX due to other Hockey Night in Canada games airing on the various Sportsnet channels; the Stadium Series was still available to stream on Sportsnet+.
