BRISTOL, Tenn. — Gary Bettman has never been afraid of a big swing. The NHL commissioner pushed hockey into nontraditional markets, stood by franchises others would have abandoned, and turned outdoor games into one of the league’s most bankable television products. But after Wednesday’s announcement of the 2027 Discover Winter Classic between Utah and Colorado, one thing became clear: the NHL is still leaving its boldest, most American idea on the table.
Put an outdoor hockey game at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Nashville Predators.
Winter Classic or Stadium Series — it doesn’t matter. Just do it.
The rumors were already out there. A leak. Some chatter. Enough smoke to make fans believe the league was at least thinking about it before NASCAR quickly cooled the speculation. That shouldn’t end the conversation. If anything, it should restart it louder.
Bristol isn’t a gimmick. It’s a cathedral.
This is a venue that has hosted college football games, sold out NASCAR weekends for decades, and routinely packs in crowds that dwarf traditional stadiums. It is scenic, self-contained, and built for spectacle. More importantly, it sits in the heart of the true South — not South Florida, not transplant territory, but a region where sports loyalty is generational, family-oriented, and passed down like heirlooms.
If the NHL wants to grow the game in the South — really grow it — this is how you do it.
The Hurricanes and Predators are not expansion novelties. Carolina has been one of the league’s most consistent contenders in recent seasons, routinely ranking among the NHL’s best possession teams and defensive units, according to metrics tracked by ESPN. Nashville, meanwhile, has reinvented itself multiple times over the past decade, blending physicality with speed and developing a reputation as one of the league’s most raucous home atmospheres.
They make sense. The rivalry makes sense. The geography makes sense.
And the timing makes sense, too. This region was hit hard by Hurricane Helene, and while a hockey game won’t fix everything, major events matter. They bring attention, tourism, revenue and — just as important — a sense that the rest of the sports world hasn’t forgotten you. The NHL has leaned into that kind of symbolism before. It should again.
Outdoor games work best when they feel organic. That’s why the Utah announcement landed so well. Mountains. Cold. A true winter backdrop. Bristol offers the same authenticity, just through a different American lens — one built on short-track racing, pickup trucks, campers, and fans who treat game day like a holiday.
And yes, let’s say the quiet part out loud: this could threaten the NHL attendance record. The league’s largest crowds have come in massive football stadiums under the right conditions. Bristol offers something even bigger — capacity, infrastructure, and a fan base already accustomed to showing up early and staying late. Parking? Plenty. Tailgating? That’s a sport of its own here.
There’s also an untapped crossover waiting to happen. NASCAR fans are loyal to a fault. They travel. They spend. They bring their kids. They adopt traditions quickly if you respect their culture. Hockey, with its speed, physicality and tribal energy, is a far more natural fit for that audience than the league sometimes realizes.
And while we’re fixing things, let’s fix another one, too.
Put hockey back in Atlanta.
The NHL has tried twice and failed twice, but markets change, ownership groups change, and the league itself has changed. Expansion fees are higher. Media deals are bigger. Southern hockey is more established than it was during either iteration of the Thrashers. Ignoring Atlanta forever isn’t prudence — it’s stubbornness.
Bettman has never been shy about defending his vision. Now it’s time to finish it.
A Stadium Series game at Bristol wouldn’t cheapen the Winter Classic brand. It would enhance it. It would remind fans what outdoor hockey is supposed to be: bold, loud, communal and unmistakably local. It would tell the South — the real South — that the NHL isn’t just passing through.
So raise hell. Praise Dale. Drop a rink into one of the coolest venues in America and let the sport speak for itself.
Gary, you’ve swung big before.
This one is sitting on the tee.
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