The Nashville Predators will honor their town’s hockey history at the 2020 Winter Classic, as their jerseys are a tribute to the Dixie Flyers.
Prior to their afternoon showdown versus the New York Rangers, which they lost 2-1, the Nashville Predators unveiled their jerseys for the upcoming 2020 Winter Classic. They will be facing the Dallas Stars in that event on Jan. 1, 2020.
After being leaked to social media earlier in the day, it didn’t take long for the franchise to make things official.
The presentation for their jerseys was done by dropping an 80-foot banner on 5th and Broadway.
IT'S HERE 🔥#Preds | #WinterClassic
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) November 2, 2019
Order now: https://t.co/ERUcx7fYoY pic.twitter.com/es6Tmq3H39
Nashville Predators unveil their 2020 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic jerseys via a 60-foot by 80-foot banner on Broadway.
Posted by WZTV FOX 17 News, Nashville on Saturday, November 2, 2019
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The old-time hockey threads pay homage to the first professional team to ever come out of Music City – the Nashville Dixie Flyers.
In 1962, the Dixie Flyers joined the EHL, also known as the Eastern Hockey League, a now-defunct semi-professional hockey league. During their nine year existence, the Dixie Flyers won the league championship twice in back-to-back years under John McLellan in 1966 and 1967. The bench boss would go on to be the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs for four seasons from 1969 to 1973.
When the league folded in the early 70s, the Dixie Flyers would subsequently close the door on hockey in Nashville in the process. It would be another four decades before Middle Tennessee would get another professional hockey team.
While it’s taken a while to get to this point, Smashville has slowly molded itself into an elite hockey town.
More than 45 years after the Dixie Flyers, the Nashville Predators will meet with the Dallas Stars on New Year’s Day at Cotton Bowl Stadium, a 92, 000 capacity stadium that’s regular reserved for college football games on Saturday.
Earlier today, the Dallas Stars released a brief preview to social media of the jersey they will be wearing on Jan. 1.
11.6.19#GoStars pic.twitter.com/SUdpd6zcR9
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) November 2, 2019
Many have speculated that their jerseys will tribute the Dallas Texans, a USHL team from the 1940s. The official unveiling for the Stars’ Winter Classic Jerseys will take place on Nov. 6.