When it came to scheduling ticket sales for the 2020 Winter Classic, I doubt the NHL was expecting it to come in the middle of an intense playoff series between the two teams involved — the Dallas Stars and the Nashville Predators.
But the excitement from the first round series has translated directly into ticket sales. Or perhaps it would be selling regardless of the Stanley Cup playoffs:
“The presale for the Winter Classic exceeded 60,000,” [NHL Commissioner Gary] Bettman told me before Game 6. “It’s the second best we’ve had in our 27 outdoor games.