With the most wonderful time of the year comes a special event in the hockey world, the NHL Winter Classic. I won’t bore you with all the history of this signature game, I will only say that this year (2020) is the 12th time the NHL has hosted this game on New Year’s Day and that both teams involved, the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars, have never played in an outdoor game of any type before.
A Historic First
Now there is another big reason this game stands out aside from the fact that both teams are new to this venue. It is also the first time the NHL has given this game to two teams from, and yes I am about to say it, “non-traditional hockey markets”. This was a bit of a risk for the NHL, which announced early in the year that the Winter Classic would take place at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
The storied college football stadium is similar to many venues the NHL has used for outdoor games over the years, and with its seating capacity of 92,000, it would be the second-most populated game if entirely sold out. Now, as someone who is a strong advocate for “non-traditional hockey markets”, I have all the faith in the world that this game will be packed. And because the NHL just announced that tailgating will officially be allowed, the game will likely have an even more southern flair.
More Than Just the Game
I have been to two Winter Classics myself, first in 2016 when the Boston Bruins hosted the Montreal Canadiens at Gillette Stadium, and the second this past year (2019) at Notre Dame Stadium when the Chicago Blackhawks hosted the Bruins, which you can read about here. One of the great things about the NHL Winter Classic is that there is almost always more going on than the game itself.
In 2016 (technically 2015), on New Year’s Eve, Bruins and Canadiens alumi squared off in a game that honestly featured more enjoyable action for B’s fans than the 5-1 loss on home ice did the following day.
As a younger Bruins fan hardly old enough to remember the days when Ray Bourque donned the Black and Gold, it was thrilling to watch No. 77 win one last game for the B’s with a lightning-fast shot in the shootout.
For last year’s Winter Classic, the NHL hosted a fan event in downtown Chicago. After driving 13 hours from Rhode Island to Notre Dame to make it to the venue, we didn’t have the extra hour and a half drive to the Windy City in us, but from what it seemed from afar, most of those in attendance had a good time. For my group, having never been to Notre Dame previous, taking a stroll in the pouring rain around the iconic campus was equally as enjoyable.
This year, there will be a Fan Festival at the State Fair of Texas with events before AND after the game for ticketed fans. One major plus I see here is that the State Fair of Texas is next door to Cotton Bowl Stadium, keeping all the action in one centralized location.
While I understand that the Blackhawks were the home team for this past Winter Classic, having the Fan Festival over an hour from the game venue was a bit of a problem logistically for those who didn’t want to make the hour+ drive into the city.
From slapshot competitions and games of bubble hockey to Ferris Wheel rides and live music, it sounds like the Dallas Stars are going all-in for their first outdoor game. I personally am extremely jealous that I won’t be able to be in attendance. As someone who is a fan of neither team, I am excited to see this southern spin on what has become the National Hockey League’s most famous game of the year.
I believe both the Stars and Predators have come a long way and both organizations have done a really solid job growing hockey in their local respective markets. Part of the reason why I am such a fan of teams in “non-traditional hockey markets” is that we, as hockey fans, get to see how different cultures influence a game that could quite honestly use a bit of diversity.
Whether it is an emphasis on tailgating and southern comfort, or country singers performing the national anthem and energetic fans throwing catfish on the ice, these new spins on the “hockey experience” give me hope for the future of our game as it continues to expand to new markets across the United States.
Heading to the Game?
For those of you who will be in attendance for the 2020 NHL Winter Classic, I would love to hear your feedback on the experience, what you enjoyed most, and how the atmosphere was. I know one thing that sometimes gets lost watching the game on the national broadcast is just how wild the environment is in the actual stadium and I would love to hear first-hand accounts.
I have been preaching for years for the NHL to finally give two southern teams a chance to play in the Winter Classic, and with so many fans experiencing this event for the first time, I am sure it will be nothing short of an awesome time.
You can reach out to me here on the site or at my email at thepuckreview@gmail.com. I am also on twitter @jeremyperrigo where I Tweet about hockey daily.
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