2020 NHL Winter Classic: TV channel, start time, live stream info

How to watch the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars in the 2020 NHL Winter Classic

By Pete Blackburn

Jan 1, 2020 at 9:26 am ET • 1 min read

As we approach another new year, that means we approach another Winter Classic. The NHL will ring in 2020 with its annual outdoor game, this time heading to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas -- a somewhat surprising but storied location for one of the marquee events on the hockey calendar. Here's everything you need to know about it.

Who's Playing

Nashville Predators at Dallas Stars

What to Know

This is the first time that either team has participated in a Winter Classic (or any NHL outdoor event) and they will become the 24th and 25th NHL teams to play in an outdoor game. (Arizona, Carolina, Columbus, Florida, Tampa Bay and Vegas have yet to play in one).

The Stars have had something of a roller coaster season, as they started the year 1-7-1 before turning things around and becoming one of the best teams in the league for about a month. They were able to climb out of the early hole that they dug themselves but then hit some expected turbulence when head coach Jim Montgomery was abruptly fired for "unprofessional conduct" in early December.

Rick Bowness took over as interim head coach and has coached the team to a 5-3-1 record in nine games since Montgomery's firing. The Stars currently sit third in the Central Division with a 22-14-4 record and will carry a two-game winning streak into the Classic.

Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators have been notable disappointments this year. The Preds entered this season with lofty expectations in the Western Conference but have struggled through the first three months of the year. They carry an 18-14-6 record and a two-game losing streak into the Winter Classic.