The National Hockey League is kicking off the new year with a time-honored tradition: the NHL Winter Classic returns tonight, December 31, at 5pm Eastern Time, with a spirited showdown between Central Division rivals the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues. The New Year's Eve game continues the annual Winter Classic series, which sees teams play an outdoor ice hockey game — usually at a football or baseball stadium — during the league's regular season at the turn of a new year. This year's proceedings will take place at the iconic Wrigley Field, home to the Chicago Cubs.
Hockey star Connor Bedard — the 19-year-old center who selected first overall by the Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL entry draft — recently talked to CHGO Sports about the excitement of getting to play in the historic Chicago stadium. "For me, it's just about, you know, the cool part, playing outside, playing it regularly here, and getting that different experience. That's what excites me," Bedard said. "It's not really about, you know, maybe more people tuning in. But it's obviously great for us, more people in the crowd. You know, it's gonna be an exciting atmosphere. So that's always fun."
