Best Options for a Dallas Stars Stadium Series Outdoor Game
On January 1st of 2020, the city of Dallas silenced its doubters when it hosted an outdoor hockey game.
More than 85,000 fans packed the Cotton Bowl nearly six years ago when the Dallas Stars hosted the Nashville Predators. If the Stars are getting another outdoor game, it’ll likely be a Stadium Series one since they’ve already played a Winter Classic.
Whether or not Dallas will host, the Stars should consider playing another game outside, especially under Gary Bettman, where non-traditional markets have gained considerable exposure throughout the league. There are plenty of teams that would be great to match up against the Stars outside. We’re also going to note a team the Stars don’t need to take it outside with.
Dallas’ best option for hosting another team outside is AT&T Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers, is a good option too, since the Stars’ only outdoor game was at a football field. A game at a baseball field would be unique to the Dallas/Fort Worth area, but football stadiums tend to have larger attendances.
Either way, Arlington, Texas, would get an outdoor NHL game.
Today, we’ll also look at the best bets for the Stars to play outside if they’re chosen to be the road team.
We’re Not Going to Say Minnesota
This one may surprise a lot of Stars fans. The Minnesota Wild doesn’t need to have an outdoor meeting with the Stars. Truth be told, they surely don’t want it. There was a time when Gary Bettman and NHL fans had Chicago Blackhawks fatigue and didn’t want to see them outdoors yet again. Not even many Blackhawks fans want them playing outside. People wanted more representation outside of the indoor arena games. The Wild thumbed their noses at hosting the Stars in a stadium series game. They opted to play the Blackhawks instead.
The story lines of a Dallas/Minnesota outdoor game would’ve been great. But it wasn’t meant to be. The modern-day Minnesota NHL team didn’t want to host the city’s previous NHL team, the Minnesota North Stars. Oftentimes, you hear Wild fans hating Norm Green more than cheering for their own team.
Stars, as well as Wild fans, know which team runs this rivalry all-time. Not only did the Stars defeat the Wild a couple of months after that game in the 2016 WCQFs, they did it again in 2023. Dallas is the team with a Stanley Cup, and has yet to lose a playoff meeting.
Best Bet: Colorado
Dallas has played the Colorado Avalanche three times in the first six years of the 2020s, with two of those meetings going the full seven games. They’re both in the same central division. These two teams see each other a lot, and meeting outside should be thrown in the mix.
On February 27th, 2016, the Avalanche played the Detroit Red Wings at Coors Field. Since the Avalanche plays where the Colorado Rockies play, it’d make more sense to host the Stars at Mile High Stadium—the home of the Denver Broncos.
St. Louis Is a Great Idea
Playoffs make the best rivalries. And nobody has played the North Stars/Stars franchise more often than the St. Louis Blues. Jim Montgomery will be the head coach for the Blues against Dallas this year, and Radek Faksa has already played with both teams. This would be great for the Stars, given the history, and right now, St. Louis is the closest team to Dallas in proximity.
St. Louis has already played in the Winter Classic twice. Both times against the Chicago Blackhawks. It’s about time they play somebody else. So who’s going to argue two teams that play one another the most often in the playoffs?
If the Stars are to play an outdoor game in St. Louis, Busch Stadium would probably be the frontrunner. The Blues hosting a game at a new field, The Dome at America’s Center, might be the best option for the city to show off to the rest of the country.
Don’t Forget VGK
Dallas has played the Vegas Golden Knights three times in the playoffs so far (all in the 2020s). If an outdoor game with Colorado is being considered, Vegas should be a potential play too. This potential outdoor matchup gives off pure Western vibes for an outdoor game. The festivities would be the same whether the event is held in Dallas or Las Vegas. Two contrasting cultures, known for their countryside and city life, go head-to-head in a Marquee event.
Las Vegas is currently under construction for a new Baseball stadium. But if the Stars are to play the Golden Knights in Sin City, they would play at Allegiant Stadium. Home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders. It has already hosted a Super Bowl, UNLV Rebels football, and will host Wrestle Mania next year.
Adding an outdoor hockey game to the mix will make for a richer history of sporting events.
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Categorized:Stars