Just when you thought the incoming Athletics would ruin all hope of a Winter Classic or a Stadium Series game coming to Las Vegas, Jerry Jones somehow gives Vegas Golden Knights fans hope. Yes, that Jerry Jones.
Okay, it's the Dallas Stars hosting next season's Stadium Series game at AT&T Stadium. But still.
The Dallas Cowboys owner appeared on Monday Night Football's pregame show alongside Gary Bettman to make the massive announcement. Yes, "Outdoor hockey" is coming to an indoor stadium.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones announce the 2027 NHL Stadium Series will be hosted by the Dallas Stars at AT&T Stadium ⭐ pic.twitter.com/1asDMLouG8
— ESPN (@espn) November 3, 2025
Jerry Jones is giving Golden Knights fans hope for a Winter Classic or a Stadium Series game, ladies and gentlemen. We're talking about a potential game on January 1st (or February) where Vegas could play at the Black Hole, known as Allegiant Stadium. The wormhole has been opened and anything is possible.
Cue the frustration and angst from hockey purists upon hearing the announcement (and seeing Jerry Jones's face).
Okay, AT&T Stadium has a retractable roof. Still, this is good news for the Golden Knights and makes a future game at Allegiant Stadium a no-brainer.
Sure, the Las Vegas Raiders' home is also indoors and has a permanent roof compared to AT&T Stadium. However, the "outdoor hockey game" rules have been written differently forever. Now, it opens a world of possibilities for cities like Las Vegas to host the winter spectacle.
Why the Dallas Stars playing the 2027 Stadium Series at AT&T Stadium helps the Vegas Golden Knights
Let's be honest. Major sports are trending towards where the money is. It doesn't matter if it's a Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium, Allegiant Stadium, or another big-name stadium. Every major league will find a way to maximize profits.
With Las Vegas becoming an attractive city for everything sports-related, that should be no different here. That means seeing Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl play in the Black Hole against the Golden Knights, complete in its entire glory. Let's also be honest. You know that Gary Bettman's chomping at the bit to get an outdoor game in Las Vegas.
You've had the NHL Draft at the Sphere, which was a commercial success. You also had numerous events, such as the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft and the NHL Awards, held there. It might conjure some feelings about Bettman's favoritism towards the Golden Knights. But when you're one of the most successful teams today, does it really matter?
The Golden Knights and the Raiders must work together to make a Stadium Series or a Winter Classic happen
The NHL and Las Vegas hosting a Winter Classic or a Stadium Series game are destined to be on a massive collision course at some point. With the amount of money the NHL's poured into the city, it would make sense to bring it to Sin City. Of course, it might mean bringing it to a premier casino like Caesar's Palace to keep up with the outdoor theme.
Even if it isn't a 1990s redux of the Caesar's Palace exhibition game, the door's been opened for a potential game at Allegiant Stadium. In an age where money talks over everything else, conventional wisdom has been thrown out like a bad pizza.
That should bode well for the Golden Knights hosting a future game. The only question is who would participate in the game with Vegas? That's where the real fun begins.
Imagine playing the Los Angeles Kings or the Edmonton Oilers inside Allegiant Stadium. It would be a massive draw that would make Las Vegas the center of the NHL universe again. Not that there's anything wrong with that.