Bettman: Presale For Predators-Stars Winter Classic Exceeds 60,000

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the presale for next year's Predators-Stars Winter Classic at Cotton Bowl Stadium "exceeded 60,000," noting that figure is the "second best we've had in our 27 outdoor games," according to Tim Cowlishaw of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. Bettman said the response so far from Dallas "tells you what an incredible hockey market this is." Bettman: "People are really responding to the Winter Classic." Cowlishaw notes the Jan. 1 game, which will be a rematch of their just-completed first-round playoff series, is the "first of its kind in anything approaching the southern part" of the U.S. Capacity for the game is "flexible but is likely to be in the range of 80,000 depending upon entertainment setup and other options." Bettman said "about 11,000" tickets for the '20 Winter Classic have been sold in Nashville, meaning people are "coming to town for New Year's" for the game (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 4/23).