Why AT&T Stadium Was the Inevitable Choice for the 2027 Stadium Series—What You Didn’t Know

If you had asked me a few months ago whether Dallas’ legendary AT&T Stadium—better known as “Jerry’s World”—would ever morph into a gigantic ice rink for the NHL Stadium Series, I might’ve raised an eyebrow or two. Yet here we are, with NHL President of Content and Events, Steve Mayer, subtly letting the cat out of the bag well ahead of the official announcement. Yes, the 2027 Stadium Series is slated for Dallas on February 20th, featuring the Dallas Stars as hosts, though their opponents remain a mystery for now. The intriguing backstory? Mayer hinted during the NHL/NHLPA North American Player Tour that the league’s been quietly negotiating with stadium operators in the area, navigating complex business models that didn’t initially align. It’s fascinating to peek behind the curtain at these strategic moves—Mayer described spending summers scoping out potential venues, weighing their futures in outdoor hockey. And now, the whispers have turned loud and clear: Dallas is gearing up to welcome an outdoor NHL spectacle at the very stadium built by Cowboys’ mogul Jerry Jones. This marks a thrilling chapter for hockey in Texas, a state that has fervently embraced the game over the years. The league’s gamble on “Jerry’s World” is a testament to its growing ambitions and the ever-expanding footprint of hockey in non-traditional markets. You can bet the buzz will only intensify as we edge closer to the big day in 2027. LEARN MORE

NHL President Content and Events Steve Mayer Hinted Dallas Cowboys Would Host Stadium Series Game

The NHL announced on ESPN, ahead of Monday Night Football, that the 2027 Stadium Series would be played in Dallas, Texas, at AT&T Stadium on February 20, 2027.

As of now, the Dallas Stars will be the host team, as their opponent is unknown at this time. However, if you have been paying attention, little hints were dropped ahead of the season that “Jerry’s World” would be hosting an outdoor game.

NHL Outdoor Games in Florida Will Have Unique Feels

During the NHL/NHLPA North American Player Tour, Steve Mayer, NHL President, Content and Events, joined Sirius XM NHL Network Radio with Dave Pagnotta, Dennis Bernstein, and Scott Laughlin. They were discussing it outdoor games and whether “Jerry’s World” would ever host one.

NHLRumors.com Transcriptions

Scott Laughlin: “Well, look, the Cotton Bowl has been done before, and I know, Dave is a fellow Cowboys fan like I am. You mentioned Dallas. Ever been any talk Steve with Jerry Jones about doing anything at the big stadium? Jerry’s World, as they call it, because the Stars fans down there, the state of Texas had bought so much into hockey, and the Dallas Stars in particular over the years. How exciting would that be, eventually, to do something like that with 8090, there, we say 100,000 fans there.”

Steve Mayer: “That would be really cool. Yeah, so we’ve had conversations. It’s interesting. When we went to the Cotton Bowl, we originally had conversations with all of the various stadiums in the Dallas area. At that time, Jerry’s World, as you referred to he they had a different business model that it just didn’t jive with our business model.

Outdoor Games Are Still Very Popular for the NHL

And part of this is a business and so we then started talking, as part of the exercise to Cotton Bowl to the baseball stadium. And remember at that time, my recollection was it was the old baseball stadium they have since. So it didn’t work out. And when we talked to Cotton Bowl, the more we talked, and then I ended up going to the Oklahoma-Texas College football game, and I experienced it for myself. I was like, this is incredible.

But since then we’ve talked and this is how I spend my summer. We go to stadiums and baseball, football, college football, and we just look them over, talk to the personnel that are involved, and decide what’s the future of the outdoor games.

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And we have had conversations. I’m not going to sit here and tell you differently with not necessarily Jerry Jones, but the folks that run that stadium. And if we are to go back to Dallas, I would say that would be a very strong possibility, that that would be where we would play well.”

So Mr. Mayer dropped a little nugget back in September. Without saying it then, he was the NHL was going to hold an outdoor game in Dallas at Jerry’s World. That hint has become a reality.

The NHL is returning to Dallas for an outdoor game and AT&T Stadium, “The House that Jerry Jones Built,” will host the 2027 Stadium Series.

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