NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said during a media scrum Tuesday afternoon that the Blackhawks “likely won’t be considered” for the 2020 Winter Classic at Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, reports Scott Powers of The Athletic.
The Stars will host the annual outdoor showcase for the first time on Jan. 1, 2020. It will be the furtherest south the NHL will have the Winter Classic. The NHL did play a Stadium Series game in 2014 at Dodgers Stadium between the Ducks and Kings.
On Tuesday, the NHL announced the 2020 Winter Classic and the 2020 Stadium Series. The latter will be hosted by the Avalanche on Feb. 15, 2020, at Falcon Stadium at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado.
Opponents for Dallas (Winter Classic at Cotton Bowl) and Colorado (Stadium Series at Air Force) will be determined in the next few weeks. Gary Bettman said it’s unlikely the Blackhawks will be asked to participate in either, though he said they’re always happy to.
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) January 1, 2019
The Blackhawks played in their fourth Winter Classic on Tuesday, when they faced the Bruins at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. Prior to Tuesday’s game, Chicago was 1-4 in outdoor games, including a 0-3 mark in the Winter Classic. The Blackhawks lone win outdoors was a 5-1 victory over Pittsburgh during the 2014 Stadium Series at Solider Field in Chicago.