On Sunday afternoon, I was watching the Philadelphia Eagles play the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, or, Jerry’s World as it has come to be called, in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys came back from being down 21-0 to beat the hated rival Eagles 24-21, sending the Dallas faithful into a frenzy.
As a hockey guy, it got me thinking about what that place will be like on Feb. 20, 2027, when the Dallas Stars host a Stadium Series game against a team that has yet to be named. Then that got me thinking: Who should the Stars play?
Related: Stars Weekly: Rantanen, Robo, Special Teams, & Keeping Up With the Avs
There’s been plenty of opinion pieces about who that team should be. The Hockey Writers‘ very own Andrew Willis wrote a great article about why it should be the St. Louis Blues.
I don’t disagree that it would be a great game, and he’s not wrong, considering this is all just opinion. However, there are three other teams that I think should be considered first. But, I’ll be honest right from the start. There’s one that I think takes the cake, and it’s not even close.
Here are the three teams, ranked in order of awesomeness, that I think the NHL should consider.
3. Edmonton Oilers
One thing the NHL has done better over the last couple of years is promote the stars of the league rather than just the teams. Sports have become about the stars of the respective leagues, and the NHL has been behind in this for a long time now. But, over the years, we have seen more NHL commercials promoting the likes of Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and Auston Matthews. Star players like this have also been taking on more personal sponsorship, which has, in turn, promoted the league.
When it comes to the best players in the NHL, two are heads and shoulders above the rest, and I think that should be part of this decision. The players that I speak of are McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon, and here is the case for McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers.
The Oilers have beaten the Stars in the Western Conference Final in the last two postseasons. If we’re talking about recent rivalries, this one may be at the top. Despite the recent struggles, the Oilers are always a Cup contender and the storylines would certainly be aplenty.
My last point goes back to what I was saying earlier. When the NHL has spectacles like this, its superstars need to be at the forefront. You can’t get much bigger than McDavid.
2. Colorado Avalanche
If you were to tell me that you could get bigger than McDavid, I think the only player you could make an argument for would be MacKinnon. For that reason, among others, the Colorado Avalanche are number two on this list.
The Avalanche have been eliminated by the Stars in each of the last two playoffs, and since they are in the same division and both at the top of the standings, it seems like they are on a collision course to meet once again. As you can tell, I really believe that playoff history makes the lights even brighter on such a big stage.
Then, there’s the player rivalry of it all. Former Avalanche Matt Duchene went to Dallas and promptly eliminated the Avs in double overtime in Game 6 of the second round. Last season, Mikko Rantanen ended up in Dallas and had the third period of his life to eliminate the Avs in Game 7 of the first round.
Another reason is geography. While Denver isn’t particularly close to Dallas (about a 12-hour drive), it is obviously way closer than Edmonton. I’m sure Oilers fans would make a vacation out of it and make the trip, but I feel confident in saying that the Avalanche fans would make a bigger showing.
There’s also the reality that Denver is in America and Edmonton is not. I know, quite the revelation. Despite the NHL’s efforts to make the league about the stars, it is still a regional sport. If they can get the regional matchup and a superstar involved, I think they would go for that in a heartbeat.
1. Philadelphia Flyers
As I watched the Eagles play the Cowboys while mulling over these thoughts about who the Stars should play, my mind wandered back to March 1, 2025, when the Columbus Blue Jackets hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Ohio Stadium.
This was a really special day, and not entirely because of the two teams playing. The Blue Jackets and the Red Wings aren’t heated rivals by any stretch. There are plenty of better matchups, especially for a team with the history that the Red Wings have.
But this matchup was bigger than hockey.
The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines are arguably the biggest rivals in college football. If you’re not a diehard college fan, there’s a big chance that you have still heard of this rivalry. It wasn’t just about the rivalry, but about the location. Ohio Stadium is a legendary stadium with a long, long history, and it was the perfect place to play a hockey game between two states that hate each other.
By now, you see where I am going with this. The Eagles and Cowboys are heated rivals in their own right, and they have been for decades. Beyond the matchup on the field, these two fanbases HATE each other. Eagles fans wear “Dallas Sucks” shirts proudly; they even wear the phrase as bling.
Sure, the Stars and the Philadelphia Flyers don’t have a ton of history, if any at all. But the history and rivalry between these two cities is at a level that’s hard to comprehend if you’re not in the middle of it, and it’s my opinion that the NHL should take full advantage of this.
Related: NHL Announces 2027 Stadium Series Game at AT&T Stadium
Eagles fans travel very well, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that Flyers fans would pour into Dallas to watch this game between two cities, which, as we said about other cities, hate each other.
Creating a spectacle that elevates history within the sport is one thing, and it’s a beautiful thing. But merging history that crosses over from other sports creates a whole other level of passion, and I, for one, am here for it. Sports fandom is deep and rooted in passion. For Dallas and Philly fans, this is as passionate as it gets.
