Wild To Play at the Bank in 2016

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Wild will host an outdoor game next season against Chicago at TCF Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus.

The NHL made the announcement Saturday.

The league's showcase Winter Classic event on New Year's Day will be in Boston. The Wild have long lobbied to hold one in Minnesota since it began in 2008, but they welcomed the opportunity to host one of the Stadium Series games. They'll play the Blackhawks on a Sunday afternoon, Feb. 21, 2016. The other Stadium Series matchup will be in Denver the following weekend.

Target Field was also considered for the venue, but the 52,000-seat college football stadium beat out the ballpark with an advantage in overall capacity. TCF Bank Stadium hosted outdoor games for the Gophers hockey teams last season.