2020 NHL Winter Classic explained

Outdoor:yes
Game Name:2020 NHL Winter Classic
Visitor:Nashville Predators
Home:Dallas Stars
Visitor Total:2
Home Total:4
Visitor Per1:2
Visitor Per2:0
Visitor Per3:0
Home Per1:0
Home Per2:1
Home Per3:3
Attendance:85,630
Date:January 1, 2020
Arena:Cotton Bowl
City:Dallas, Texas
Previous:2019
Next:2022

The 2020 NHL Winter Classic was an outdoor ice hockey game played in the National Hockey League (NHL) on January 1, 2020, at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. The 12th edition of the Winter Classic, it matched Dallas Stars against the Nashville Predators; the Stars won, 4–2. This was the first NHL outdoor game for both teams.[1] With a sold-out crowd of 85,630, it was the second-most attended game in NHL history.[2]

Background

The league announced on January 1, 2019 that the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas would be the site of the game, with the Dallas Stars as the host team.[3] The league then announced on January 25, 2019 that the Nashville Predators would be the visiting team.[4]

The Cotton Bowl has been the home of the First Responder Bowl, a college football bowl game played on or near New Year's Day, since 2011; to accommodate the Winter Classic, the December 30, 2019 edition of the First Responder Bowl was moved to Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas.[5] The Cotton Bowl previously hosted the Cotton Bowl Classic, another New Year's bowl game, from 1937 to 2009. The stadium has been used for other college football special events such as the State Fair Classic and the Red River Showdown.

On April 23, 2019, the day tickets went on sale to the general public, the event officially sold out, becoming the second-fastest Winter Classic in history to sell out.[6] The crowd of 85,630 became the second-most attended game in NHL history, behind only the 105,491 attendance set at the 2014 NHL Winter Classic.[2] [7]

Game summary

The Dallas Stars defeated the Nashville Predators 4–2 after overcoming a 2–0 deficit. Stars forward Corey Perry received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for elbowing Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis in the head at 2:44 into the first period. Ellis did not return for the rest of the game.[8] The league would later give Perry a five-game suspension.[9]

After Dallas forward Blake Comeau's delay of game penalty at 4:22 gave the Predators a 5-on-3 advantage, forward Matt Duchene scored the icebreaker at 5:46, then defenseman Dante Fabbro gave Nashville a 2–0 lead at 7:36 moments before Perry's five-minute major expired.[2]

The Stars would then score four unanswered goals en route to the win. Comeau would give Dallas its first goal with 1:08 remaining in the second period. Then after forward Colin Blackwell was called for delay of game at 19:11 of the second, forward Mattias Janmark scored the equalizer on the ensuing power play 58 seconds into the third. Forward Alexander Radulov scored a power play goal at 5:06 to give the Stars their first lead, and defenseman Andrej Sekera added his team's fourth goal at 6:35.[7]

Both goaltenders, Ben Bishop of the Stars and Pekka Rinne of the Predators, made 31 saves.[2] [7]

Scoring summary
PeriodTeamGoalAssist(s)TimeScore
align=center rowspan="2" 1stalign=center NSHalign=center Matt Duchene (9) – ppalign=center Filip Forsberg (14), Roman Josi (26)align=center 05:46align=center NSH 1–0
align=center NSHalign=center Dante Fabbro (4) – ppalign=center Matt Duchene (19), Roman Josi (27)align=center 07:36align=center NSH 2–0
align=center rowspan="1" 2ndalign=center DALalign=center Blake Comeau (5) align=center Jason Dickinson (7), Esa Lindell (11)align=center 18:52align=center NSH 2–1
align=center rowspan="3" 3rdalign=center DALalign=center Mattias Janmark (5) – ppalign=center John Klingberg (15), Roope Hintz (6)align=center 00:58align=center 2–2
align=center DALalign=center Alexander Radulov (12) – ppalign=center John Klingberg (16), Jamie Benn (11)align=center 05:06align=center DAL 3–2
align=center DALalign=center Andrej Sekera (1)align=center Radek Faksa (7), Mattias Janmark (9)align=center 06:35align=center DAL 4–2

Number in parentheses represents the player's total in goals or assists to that point of the season

Penalty summary
PeriodTeamPlayerPenaltyTimePIM
1stalign=center DALalign=center Corey Perry (served by Alexander Radulov)align=center Elbowingalign=center 02:44align=center 5:00
align=center DALalign=center Corey Perryalign=center Game misconductalign=center 02:44align=center 10:00
align=center DALalign=center Blake Comeaualign=center Delay of game (puck over glass)align=center 04:22align=center 2:00
align=center NSHalign=center Matthew Irwinalign=center align=center 08:38align=center Penalty shot
align=center DALalign=center Radek Faksaalign=center align=center 11:27align=center 2:00
align=center NSHalign=center Colin Blackwellalign=center align=center 11:27align=center 2:00
2nd
align=center DALalign=center Tyler Seguinalign=center align=center 11:00align=center 2:00
align=center NSHalign=center Roman Josialign=center align=center 16:44align=center 2:00
align=center NSHalign=center Colin Blackwellalign=center Delay of game (puck over glass)align=center 19:11align=center 2:00
3rdalign=center NSHalign=center Ryan Johansenalign=center Hookingalign=center 03:42align=center 2:00
Shots by period
Team123Total
NSH align=center 10 align=center 12 align=center 11 align=center 33
DAL align=center 8 align=center 16 align=center 11 align=center 35
Power play opportunities
TeamGoals/Opportunities
Nashville 2 / 4
Dallas 2 / 3
Three star selections
TeamPlayerStatistics
1stDALBlake Comeau1 goal
2ndDALJohn Klingberg2 assists
3rdNSHMatt Duchene1 goal, 1 assist

Team rosters

Nashville Predators
PlayerPosition
4align=left Ryan Ellis (A)D
5align=left Dan HamhuisD
8align=left Kyle TurrisC
9align=left Filip ForsbergLW
13align=left Nick BoninoC
14align=left Mattias Ekholm (A)D
15align=left Craig SmithC
19align=left Calle JarnkrokC
23align=left Rocco GrimaldiC
33align=left Viktor ArvidssonLW
35align=left Pekka RinneG
42align=left Colin BlackwellC
51align=left Austin WatsonLW
52align=left Matt IrwinD
57align=left Dante FabbroD
59align=left Roman Josi (C)D
64align=left Mikael GranlundC
74align=left Juuse SarosG
92align=left Ryan JohansenC
95align=left Matt DucheneC
Head coach: Peter Laviolette
Dallas Stars
PlayerPosition
2align=left Jamie OleksiakD
3align=left John Klingberg (A)D
4align=left Miro HeiskanenD
5align=left Andrej SekeraD
10align=left Corey PerryRW
11align=left Andrew CoglianoC
12align=left Radek FaksaC
13align=left Mattias JanmarkC
14align=left Jamie Benn (C)LW
15align=left Blake ComeauLW
16align=left Joe PavelskiC
18align=left Jason DickinsonC
23align=left Esa LindellD
24align=left Roope HintzLW
30align=left Ben BishopG
34align=left Denis GurianovRW
35align=left Anton KhudobinG
45align=left Roman PolakD
47align=left Alexander RadulovRW
91align=left Tyler Seguin (A)C
Head coach: Rick Bowness

Juuse Saros and Anton Khudobin dressed as the back-up goaltenders. Neither entered the game.

Scratches

Entertainment

The country music group Midland performed before the teams took the ice.[10] Jake Hoot, the winner of season 17 of the talent competition The Voice, sang the national anthem.[11] The pop music duo Dan + Shay performed during the first intermission.[12] The second intermission entertainment was a tribute to the State Fair of Texas, featuring the SMU Mustangs and Texas A&M Aggies dance teams and a rodeo show.[11]

Television

NBC broadcast the game in the U.S., as it has done since the Winter Classic's first game in 2008. In Canada, Sportsnet televised the game in English, while TVA Sports broadcast it in French. Due to the postponement of the following year’s Winter Classic, and then losing their NHL rights to ESPN/ABC and TNT Sports following the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals, this wound up being NBC’s last Winter Classic. TNT picked up the rights to the Winter Classic.

Ratings

The 2020 Winter Classic was the least-watched game in the event's history until the 2022 NHL Winter Classic, drawing only 1.97 million viewers. An error in the Nielsen reporting counted the hour-long pregame show as part of the game itself, which appears to be the primary factor in the ratings drop, as the game's primary competition—college football bowl games on ESPN and ABC—also saw lower cumulative viewership (though the two bowls scheduled opposite the Winter Classic individually had higher ratings than the year before, when there were three bowls in the slot).[13] WGRZ in Buffalo, New York was the highest-rated local station, ahead of even Nashville (WSMV) and Dallas (KXAS),[14] both of which set market records for NHL viewership with the contest.[15]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Nashville Predators to face Dallas Stars in 2020 Winter Classic. Emily. Kaplan. ESPN. January 25, 2019 . January 25, 2019.
  2. News: Stars rally to beat Predators in Winter Classic at Cotton Bowl. Associated Press. Sportsnet. January 1, 2020.
  3. NHL outdoor games, All-Star Weekend details announced for 2019-20. December 22, 2019. NHL.com. January 1, 2019.
  4. Predators to face Stars in 2020 Winter Classic at Cotton Bowl Stadium. December 22, 2019. NHL.com. January 25, 2019.
  5. Web site: Conflict with Winter Classic forces First Responder Bowl to move from Cotton Bowl to SMU's Ford Stadium. Ben. Baby. dallasnews.com. May 23, 2019 . December 28, 2019.
  6. Web site: 2020 NHL Winter Classic at Cotton Bowl officially a sellout.. Sporting News. April 23, 2019. April 24, 2019.
  7. News: Stars rally past Predators for victory in Winter Classic. NHL.com. January 1, 2020.
  8. News: Stars' Corey Perry to have hearing Friday for elbowing Predators' Ryan Ellis. Sportsnet. January 1, 2020.
  9. News: Stars' Corey Perry suspended five games for elbow on Predators' Ryan Ellis. Sportsnet. January 3, 2020.
  10. Web site: Winter Classic pregame entertainment to feature Midland. December 22, 2019. NHL.com. December 16, 2019.
  11. Web site: Winter Classic to celebrate Cotton Bowl Stadium, Texas heritage. December 27, 2019. NHL.com. December 27, 2019.
  12. Web site: Winter Classic headliner entertainment announced. December 22, 2019. NHL.com. December 6, 2019.
  13. Web site: Paulsen . 2020-01-03 . Winter Classic hits new lows . 2023-02-15 . Sports Media Watch . en-US.
  14. 1213191318794584065. AdamVingan. Here are the top local markets in.... 3 January 2020.
  15. Web site: Stars-Predators the least viewed Winter Classic ever, but highest-rated game in Dallas and Nashville. 3 January 2020.