Mar 1, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks players celebrate as fireworks go off in the stands after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Stadium Series hockey game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Darren Dreger reported via Twitter that the Minnesota Wild will host the Colorado Avalanche in an NHL Stadium Series game next season

The Wild-Avs game will be hosted by the Wild, but this is a win for both teams. Denver (Avs) and St. Paul (Wild) are both very good hockey towns that support their teams, so it will be great for both organizations to get the national spotlight in the NHL Stadium Series.

The NHL currently has three separate outdoor series: the NHL Heritage Classic, NHL Winter Classic, and Stadium Series. The Heritage Classic will not happen this season, but the Winter Classic will have the Chicago Blackhawks facing off against the Washington Capitals in Washington on January 1st, 2015. There will also be one Stadium Series game this year between the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings in San Jose.

If you are not familiar with outdoor hockey, you might ask how in the heck can they play ICE hockey outdoors in California? That answer is simple, an ice truck. A truck pumps coolant through pipes under the ice to keep it frozen. It’s a pretty neat trick.

Even though both Colorado and Minnesota are known for cold winters, the ice trucks will still be deployed, just to be on the safe side. Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor was equipped with an ice truck in February of 2013 when the Red Wings played the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ann Arbor, MI gets pretty cold, but better safe than sorry as the old cliche goes.

Next season’s NHL Stadium Series should be a great one. Fans will get the treat of outdoor hockey and the teams will get the bonus of great ticket sales (outdoor games can draw as many as 100,000 fans).