​Picture it.More than 50,000 people packed into Rice-Eccles Stadium on New Year’s Eve with frosty breath and high hopes; Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche fans bundled up alike, stretching their hockey jerseys over their ski jackets to display their allegiance in a budding rivalry.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAt such a landmark event as the Winter Classic, which of those fan bases deserves to see its team in plain white jerseys?If the NHL maintains its streak of good decisions, the answer will be neither.In most cases, an NHL team’s home jersey is much more vibrant than its away set. The Mammoth are a good example of it — the black jersey features the team’s primary logo of an angry mammoth, while the white jersey just spells out the word “Utah.”The league seemed to recognize that last season, as it allowed certain special occasions to feature home jerseys for both teams. The general consensus among fans was that it looked amazing.Outdoor games typically come with the introduction of a new jersey for both teams, so a color-on-color matchup wouldn’t likely be Utah’s black jersey against Colorado’s maroon. Mammoth fans have been begging for a “mountain blue” set, which might contrast nicely with a newly designed Avalanche maroon jersey.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRegardless of what the Mammoth and the NHL come up with, fans will be glad to diversify their closets. Between the Winter Classic and the “Hometown Remix” jerseys that the league is reportedly releasing this season, the Delta Center should get a bit more colorful.There is precedent for double-color matchups at outdoor games.The Detroit Red Wings hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2014 Winter Classic, with the teams wearing red and blue, respectively.In 2017 and again in 2019, the Pittsburgh Penguins faced the Philadelphia Flyers for the Stadium Series. The teams took turns donning black while the other wore its primary color (yellow for Pittsburgh, orange for Philadelphia).AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Flyers did it again in 2021 at the “NHL Outdoors” event when they took on the Boston Bruins on the edge of Lake Tahoe, and the Bruins did it again last season when they played the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stadium Series.All that said, it’s still much more common that one team wears either white or cream.Tampa Bay Lightning center Jake Guentzel (59) scores past Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) during a shootout in a Stadium Series game Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. | Chris O’MearaThe NHL has three marquis outdoor events: The Heritage Classic, which features two Canadian teams; the Stadium Series, which usually takes place at a notable football or baseball venue; and the Winter Classic, which celebrates the new year.While outdoor games count the same as any other regular-season matchup in the standings, they’re also celebratory. Mammoth owner Ryan Smith gave a glimpse at what the festivities will look l