If the excitement of the Stars' first-round series with Nashville did not provide ample evidence of Dallas' strength as a hockey market, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman came to American Airlines Center on Monday to provide more.
"The presale for the Winter Classic exceeded 60,000," Bettman told me before Game 6. "It's the second best we've had in our 27 outdoor games. It tells you what an incredible hockey market this is. People are really responding to the Winter Classic."
The 2020 game, to be played Jan. 1 at the Cotton Bowl, is the first of its kind in anything approaching the southern part of the United States.