• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, July 19, 2013

After the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season, NBCUniversal will air a run of outdoor NHL games starting New Year’s Day, including a new “stadium series.”

Between Jan. 25 and March 1, games will come from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Yankee Stadium in New York and Soldier Field in Chicago. Those follow the New Year’s Day “Winter Classic” from Michigan Stadium near Detroit.

Outdoor games have been a rousing success for the NHL, but the question remains whether there can be too much of a good thing and hurt ratings.

For the coming NHL season, NBCU might gain a lift after NHL players make an expected appearance in the Olympic Games in mid-February.

NBCU is bringing back a “Rivalry Night” on Wednesdays on the NBC Sports Network, which will have games on Monday-Wednesday each week during the season. Starting in mid-January, the NBC network will run a game of the week on most Sundays.

“Winter Classic” games have accounted for five of the six most-viewed NHL regular-season games since 1975 -- even with college football competition, notes NBCU. The 2011 Capitals-Rangers matchup with 4.5 million viewers tops the charts, followed by the 2009 Red Wings-Blackhawks game with 4.4 million.

The lone non-“Winter Classic” in the top six came via performances from six regional telecasts on Fox in 1996 with 3.8 million.