NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced a new schedule for all the special events happening in the 2019-20 season. While it was reported Monday that the 2020 Winter Classic will be in Dallas, Bettman also announced that the St. Louis Blues will host the 2020 Honda NHL All-Star game, Regina will host the 2019 Tim Horton’s NHL Heritage Classic between the Winnipeg Jets and the Calgary Flames, while Colorado will host the 2020 Stadium Series at the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Falcon Stadium.
There is no word yet on who the Dallas Stars will play next year at the 2020 Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl. The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro reports that the opponent will be determined by the Stars, NBC and the NHL in a group effort and will be made within the next few weeks. However, with no regional rival, there isn’t an obvious opponent, although some are already suggesting that the Minnesota Wild might be a good match. It’s not expected to be the Blackhawks, who played in the event this year and has already played in six outdoor games. This marks the first time that Dallas will play in an outdoor game.
Bettman said that other venues were considered and will continue to be considered. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reports that Bettman said that there has been conversations between both Florida teams of a future night game on Jan. 1. The Athletic’s Joe McDonald adds that Bettman said the league will have discussions with the Bruins after their renovations at TD Gardens are complete about receiving another event.
The Blues will host the 2020 all-star game, which will be held on Jan. 24-2. It will be the first time that St. Louis has hosted an all-star game since 1988. It will be the third all-star game in the city as the team also hosted one in 1970. St. Louis hosted the Winter Classic two years ago, but its success only helped the Blues bring in another big event.
“St. Louis was a great host for us for the Winter Classic, and in the final analysis, the total circumstances including the substantial renovation that they’ve done of the Enterprise Center made it the right time to go back. We have no doubt it will be a huge success,” Bettman said (via The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford).
The Winnipeg Jets announced earlier today they will host the Heritage Classic, but the opponent hadn’t been announced. Bettman announced that the Calgary Flames will make their second appearance in the occasionally-held Canadian outdoor game which will be on Oct. 26, 2019.
The Avalanche will get a chance to host their second Stadium Series. They hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Coors Field in 2016. It also marks the second time a game will be at a U.S. service academy. The Washington Capitals hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium at the U.S. Naval Base in Annapolis, Maryland in March last year. Just as with the Winter Classic, an opponent has yet to be named and will be determined in a few weeks.
There are too many games I can’t keep them all straight.
Blackhawks need to take a break from outdoor games. 1-5 all time in outdoor games (0-4 in Winter Classic after today’s loss)
You know the opponent will be one they hope can help sell tickets for the Cotton Bowl game. The Stars get a lot of out-of-towners from Detroit, Chicago and Pittsburgh so don’t be surprised if it ends up being a team like that instead of Arizona or Vegas or something like that.
Stars vs Blues.
I honestly hate any game that isn’t the winter classic. The league totally destroyed the experience that one year when they had like 6 outdoor games.
I would guess Vegas plays Colorado more than Dallas. The owner Foley, is an Army vet and loves everything about the Armed Services, so I could see him asking to be the opponent
I know for real. They need 1 winter classic a year.
living in boston I didn’t realize the garden was under renovation
Exactly, what used to be a special event is now so saturated that nobody cares. We don’t need but 1 game per year on New Years Day and pick different teams.
There are 1,271 regular season games this year. You hate any game that isn’t the Winter Classic. You hate 1,270 games. Sad.
There are 1,271 regular season games per year. You “hate any game that isn’t the [W]inter [C]lassic.” Therefore, you hate 1,270 games per regular season. Sad.
Dallas v Nashville makes too much sense not to do it.