{"id":270140,"date":"2025-11-04T03:44:19","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T03:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/270140\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T03:44:19","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T03:44:19","slug":"nhl-announces-dallas-stars-will-host-outdoor-game-at-att-stadium-in-2027","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/270140\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL announces Dallas Stars will host outdoor game at AT&T Stadium in 2027"},"content":{"rendered":"

ARLINGTON \u2014 When the NHL decided to bring the Winter Classic to the Cotton Bowl<\/a> in Dallas in 2020, its executives admittedly worried it wouldn\u2019t be a smashing success.<\/p>\n

They initially planned for a capacity of 70,000 at the football stadium, hoping the city would turn out well to fill those seats.<\/p>\n

But as demand far exceeded expectations, they searched for ways to find more room, uncovering view-obstructed seats and opening up rows in the end zones. The game on Jan. 1, 2020, hosted a sellout crowd of 85,630, making it the third-most attended outdoor game in NHL history.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo see the reaction to that particular day and that many people and just how everybody took to the game, we asked the question of when are we going to do this again?\u201d NHL President of Content and Events Steve Mayer said in an exclusive interview with The Dallas Morning News last week. <\/p>\n

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The NHL finally answered that question Monday, announcing the Dallas Stars<\/a> will host another outdoor game on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2027, at AT&T Stadium<\/a> as part of the league\u2019s Stadium Series. League officials were in Arlington on Monday and made the announcement with the Stars and Cowboys ahead of the Cowboys\u2019 Monday Night Football game against the Arizona Cardinals.<\/p>\n

\"ESPN\u2019s<\/p>\n

ESPN\u2019s Scott Van Pelt (from left) talks with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones before a NFL game, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in Arlington.<\/p>\n

El\u00edas Valverde II \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really exciting opportunity for us to highlight our team on a national stage,\u201d Stars President and CEO Brad Alberts told The News in an interview Monday. \u201cIt\u2019s certainly going to be another marquee opportunity for us to showcase this franchise at probably the most iconic football venue in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Stars\u2019 opponent will be announced at a later date, but the game will begin at 7 p.m. and be broadcast on ABC.<\/p>\n

The 2027 game will be the first hockey game at AT&T Stadium. The NHL has played outdoor games at several other NFL stadiums, including MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. This season, Boston and Tampa Bay are playing in the Stadium Series on Feb. 1, 2026, at Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.<\/p>\n

With AT&T Stadium seating 80,000 and the potential to hold over 100,000 with the use of standing room, the game could draw an even larger crowd than the Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl. Depending on the use of additional on-field seating, it could become the most attended NHL game in history.<\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\"Fans\"Dallas<\/p>\n

Dallas Stars goaltender Ben Bishop (30) deflects a shot by Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg (9) during the second period of the NHL Winter Classic hockey game at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Wednesday, January 1, 2020. A sold out crowd of 85,630-the second-most attended game in NHL history- saw the first NHL outdoor game for both teams.<\/p>\n

Tom Fox \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

An iconic venue<\/p>\n

The NHL has eyed AT&T Stadium for years as a possible host, but scheduling the game at JerryWorld on New Year\u2019s Day became impossible.<\/p>\n

The NHL needs at least two weeks to build its rink \u2014 and needs to clear out the home team during that time, which coincides with the NFL playoffs. It also needs a commitment years in advance.<\/p>\n

But Mayer said the Cowboys stayed in contact over the years with the hopes of eventually bringing hockey to AT&T Stadium.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey never let it die,\u201d Mayer said.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t just the Cowboys\u2019 home schedule the NHL needed to work around. AT&T Stadium is one of the busiest buildings in Texas, having played host to the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff national championship, NFL Draft, Big 12 Conference championship, Goodyear Cotton Bowl, NBA All-Star Game, NCAA Men\u2019s Final Four and WrestleMania. It will also host nine FIFA World Cup matches during summer 2026 from the group stage through a semifinal.<\/p>\n

\u201cHosting the NHL Stadium Series with the Dallas Stars is another great example of the vision we\u2019ve always had for what AT&T Stadium could be beyond football,\u201d said Cowboys Owner, President and General Manager Jerry Jones. \u201cThe game will be another proud moment for us, and being able to provide a world-class fan and team experience in partnership with two outstanding organizations, the NHL and the Stars, will be very special.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dallas<\/p>\n

Dallas Stars president and CEO Brad Alberts (from left) poses with Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston, left wing Jamie Benn, Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, left wing Jason Robertson and center Tyler Seguin pose for a photo before a NFL game, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in Arlington. The NHL announced the Dallas Stars will host an outdoor game at AT&T Stadium in 2027. <\/p>\n

El\u00edas Valverde II \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

Mayer says NHL officials have been in talks with the Cowboys to ensure the AT&T Stadium roof can open for the game. The Cowboys rarely open the roof for home games, doing so just once this season during their Sept. 28 game against the Packers. Last year, when the roof opened ahead of a Monday night game against Houston, a piece of sheet metal fell and landed near one of the end zones<\/a>, causing the Cowboys to change plans and close the roof, which would have opened that night for the first time since 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an outdoor series, and we intend for it to be an outdoor game,\u201d Mayer said.<\/p>\n

Luckily for fans and players, it\u2019ll be a night game, so there will be no concern about curtains or blinding sunlight through the windows. <\/p>\n

Mayer added that the flexibility of a retractable roof helps during the build process, keeping it the ideal temperature inside for the two-week construction period.<\/p>\n

AT&T Stadium\u2019s flexibility in terms of stadium room was also a draw for the NHL. Mayer said demand will determine how many standing room tickets they sell but that they\u2019re exploring both the traditional standing room only sections and on-field seating if there is demand.<\/p>\n

As for what fans can expect, Mayer wouldn\u2019t divulge any specifics but said the NHL is eager to provide an even better game atmosphere than they did at the Cotton Bowl.<\/p>\n

The Winter Classic was quintessential Texas. The Stars emerged from their team bus wearing boots, hats, denim, leather and bolo ties. A mechanical bull was stationed on the far side of the field. There were horses for the national anthem, lassos, sheep and pig racing during TV timeouts with Stars-themed names like Tyler \u201cSwine\u201din, Joe \u201cPork\u201dvaleski and Andrew \u201cHog\u201dliano.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe take so much pride in making it different and better,\u201d Mayer said. \u201cI will guarantee that when somebody walks in that building and takes in this game, it\u2019s going to feel completely different than it did at the Cotton Bowl.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AT&T<\/p>\n

AT&T Stadium is seen during an NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Arlington. <\/p>\n

Chitose Suzuki \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

On a national stage<\/p>\n

The success of the Stars\u2019 organization, making three consecutive runs to the Western Conference finals and a run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, has put them in good graces with the league.<\/p>\n

The 2027 Stadium Series will mark the second time in three years that the Stars are highlighted in one of the league\u2019s marquee specialty games.<\/p>\n

The Stars played in two games against the Florida Panthers in Tampere, Finland<\/a>, in November 2024 as part of the NHL Global Series. It was the first time the Stars played in a game outside of North America.<\/p>\n

Now, the league is highlighting Texas Hockey on another major stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was always part of the plan to get us back to this level, to not just be another team in this league, to be a marquee team in this league,\u201d Alberts said. \u201cI think we\u2019re there. I think that\u2019s what this says \u2014 that the Dallas Stars move the needle for NHL hockey globally, and we\u2019re a very, very important franchise to this league.\u201d<\/p>\n

The NHL\u2019s decisions point to an effort to highlight more non-traditional hockey markets that have seen substantial growth and success in recent years. In addition to hosting the 2026 Stadium Series in Tampa, the 2026 Winter Classic will feature the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers at LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins.<\/p>\n

That trend will continue into the 2027 season when the Stars, the Cowboys and the NHL hope for another lively crowd like the one they saw at the Cotton Bowl five years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis city is a hockey town now, and the rest of the world should see and know more about it,\u201d Mayer said. \u201cIt\u2019s an organization that deserves to be in these big games and to be showcased as a huge piece of the NHL.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe like featuring the Dallas Stars. They are what the league is all about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staff writer Calvin Watkins contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

On X\/Twitter: @Lassimak<\/a><\/p>\n

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman slams Mavericks\u2019 \u2018frivolous\u2019 arena lawsuit against Stars <\/a>Stars goalie Jake Oettinger expected to miss Tuesday\u2019s game vs. Oilers for birth of child<\/a><\/p>\n

Find more Stars coverage from The Dallas Morning News here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ARLINGTON \u2014 When the NHL decided to bring the Winter Classic to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":270141,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[49887,966,144687,1816,4825,385,99,1507],"class_list":["post-270140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-arlington","tag-article","tag-att-stadium","tag-dallas-cowboys","tag-dallas-stars","tag-nhl","tag-sports","tag-stars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=270140"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270140\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/270141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=270140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=270140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=270140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}