NHL commish Gary Bettman teases concert ahead of Stadium Series in February

By Abhishek Dilta

Modified Dec 13, 2023 06:15 GMT

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman teased the announcement of a concert ahead of the Stadium Series in February.

Bettman was at the ESPN studio on Tuesday and addressed the various subjects around the league, such as arenas, expansion, and in-season tournaments.

The league commissioner was present at the studio as part of ESPN's "AsktheCommish" segment. Gary Bettman also teased an announcement that will be made on "Good Morning America."

It was about a concert which will take place before the game between the Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils as part of the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium at Metlife Stadium, New Jersey, on Feb. 17.

"Tune into ‘Good Morning America,’ and you’ll see the announcement as to who it is,” Bettman said during the first intermission of the Chicago Blackhawks-Edmonton Oilers broadcast. “I’m not going to tell you right now."

When is the Stadium Series?

The 2024 NHL Stadium Series will consist of two outdoor games which are set to take place during the regular season.

The first game of the Stadium Series will be played between the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Feb. 17.

The final game of the Stadium Series will be played between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders on Feb. 18 at the same arena in New Jersey.

Gary Bettman answers several questions

As part of the "AsktheCommish" segment on ESPN, Bettman was asked several questions by fans. One of the fans in the segment questioned the league commissioner about the Arizona Coyotes, who are in search of a new home arena in Phoenix.

Bettman also talked about the Washington Capitals, who are rumored to be relocating to a new arena in Alexandria, Virginia, after playing for decades in Capital One Arena (via NHL.com):

“Nobody’s moving,” Bettman said. “We like where our franchises are. I know there’s a rumor about Washington being asked to come to Virginia, which is four miles away from their existing arena."

He added:

That’s all. And it may be a great opportunity to have an incredible, forward-looking fan experience that’s new age and takes care of new technology and new experiences and something that could be very special.”

The addition of the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken as part of the expansion was a huge success for the league. The NHL is rumored to be planning for an expansion which could see the arrival of two new teams into the league in the near future.

Gary Bettman, meanwhile, stated that the league has been getting wide interest from potential buyers in Quebec City, Atlanta, Houston, and Salt Lake City but at the moment is content with its 32 teams.