For most who attended the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic it was a day they'll never forget. For those who worked the event, it was 2 days of preparing and rehearsing, and then on New Year's Day, executing one of the greatest spectacles in modern sports, the annual outdoor NHL game, this year held in Dallas at the Cotton Bow between the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators. As Public Address Announcer for the Stars, I was brought in to retain many of the "home-ice" sounds of the game; starting lineups, goals, penalties, time-outs, scoring recaps, shots on goal totals, and 3-Stars of the Game.
The event played up the "country" theme between the two Southern cities. There were pig races, show horses, fireworks, a mechanical bull, mutton busting, a fighter jet flyover, Troy Aikman and Ricky Williams, penalty shots, the longest walk of shame in hockey history, and (what's become their MO recently) a big-time Stars comeback. In the end, the Stars would defeat the Preds 4-2 in front of more than 85,600 fans, the 2nd largest crowd to ever watch an NHL game. It was a banner moment for the franchise, in front of a national TV audience, maybe the biggest since the team won the Stanley Cup more than 20 years ago..
For the most thorough look at the event from my perspective, check out my Instagram Story (link may work better on a desktop), and scroll down to see select social posts.