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“At the end of the day, we have to fill a stadium,� NHL president of content and events Steve Mayer told The Associated Press by phone. “We’ve never not filled one. And we just became more and more confident that, if we went back, especially to a very unique environment — one of the coolest and biggest and greatest stadiums in the world — we think we’re going to get people’s attention.�

This is set to be the second NHL game at a football stadium in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex after the Stars played the Nashville Predators in the Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 2020. That drew a crowd of more than 85,000.

"Pretty immediately we just said we’ve got to go back soon," Mayer said. “We had success beyond anything we could have ever dreamed of. To fill the Cotton Bowl just absolutely showed us that Dallas fans are into this, will come in droves and it was awesome.�

Conversations with the Cowboys continued over the past several years, and the Stars made three consecutive trips to the Western Conference final. AT&T Stadium has a capacity of 85,000 but can get past 100,000 with standing room only, putting the league's record attendance of 105,491 from Michigan Stadium in 2014 within reach, if everything comes together correctly.

"We’re going into this with our eyes wide open, and that is absolutely a possibility," Mayer said. “We’re very aware of the capacity, and standing room is a thing. It’s actually unique to that stadium. I would say that we would have a chance.�

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said has been advocating for a game there since the stadium opened in 2009. Jones called it “another great example of the vision we’ve always had for what AT&T Stadium could be beyond football.�

This will be the third NHL outdoor-ish game since 2024. The Seattle Kraken hosted the Winter Classic that New Year's Day at the Mariners' ballpark with a retractable roof, and the back-to-back defending champion Florida Panthers are set to face the New York Rangers on Jan. 2 at the Marlins' stadium that offers the same protection from the elements.

Mayer said it has not been a conscious decision but also added that it helps the two-week-plus rink-building process get done without weather interruptions. 

"It just takes that entire risk out of the equation," Mayer said. “We are going to open the roof on game day. For us, that’s a nonstarter.�

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AP NHL: