The Vegas Golden Knights, in just their 10th NHL season, will play in another outdoor game, their third, during the 2026-27 season. On February 27, 2027, the team will head down to Arlington, TX, to play the Dallas Stars in the yearly Stadium Series at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.
Historically, Vegas should avoid playing in outdoor games for two reasons. One, they are still winless in these special games, having lost to the Colorado Avalanche at Lake Tahoe in 2021 and then been shut out by the Seattle Kraken at the 2024 Winter Classic. Second, the Golden Knights are always the “away” team in these outdoor games, including the upcoming Stadium Series in Texas.
NHL Stadium Series odds don’t seem to favor the away team
The upcoming matchup between the Golden Knights and Stars will be the 18th Stadium Series contest, with the home teams holding a slim 9-8 lead in victories, thanks to the Tampa Bay Lightning defeating the Boston Bruins last year. Meanwhile, home teams tend to score more goals in these contests, with a 61-52 lead on the scoreboard.
Interestingly, until the Bruins beat the Philadelphia Flyers 7-3 at NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe in 2021, the highest-scoring outdoor game was a Stadium Series clash between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils at Yankee Stadium in 2014. On that night, the Rangers defeated the Devils 7-3, while being the “away” team in their own city, like the Golden Knights were the “visitors” when the Avalanche beat them at Lake Tahoe, which is on the border of Nevada and California.
Meanwhile, the first-ever Stadium Series contest took place in 2014 between the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings and resulted in a 3-0 Ducks win, the only recorded shutout in this series of events. Oddly enough, the Ducks were the visitors and are one of only two teams, the other being the Edmonton Oilers at the 2016 Heritage Classic, to record a shutout while on the “road.”
At the 2016 Stadium Series matchup between the Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, the Wild secured the largest margin of victory in an outdoor game, earning a 6-1 win over the visiting Blackhawks. Overall, in games decided by more than three goals, home teams are dominant, with a 12-6 record at league-designated “home” venues.
Golden Knights fans shouldn’t worry much about their Stadium Series opponent
Since debuting in the 2017-18 season, the Golden Knights have a significant edge when it comes to matching up against the Stars. Through 23 regular-season meetings, Vegas has compiled a 13-5-5 record. However, Dallas has turned the tables in the postseason, holding a 2-1 series edge, defeating the Golden Knights in the 2020 Conference Finals and in the first round of the 2024 playoffs.
The only time Vegas has advanced past the Stars in the Stanley Cup playoffs took place in the 2023 Western Conference Final, when the Golden Knights went on to capture the title. Despite the playoff losses, Vegas is still 22-15-5 all-time against its Texas rival. Considering the Stadium Series game takes place in the regular season, the Golden Knights have a great chance to pick up their first outdoor victory, righting so many previous wrongs, and continuing their dominance against one of the top teams in the Central Division.
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