Many are cold, but Wrigley is chosen by NHL
Blackhawks to host second Winter Classic
CHICAGO — Frosty baseball games have long been a fixture at Wrigley Field, where a stiff wind off Lake Michigan can chill fans, players and managers alike.
Now the Friendly Confines is going on ice. For one day.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks are taking hockey back outdoors when they meet New Year’s Day 2009 in the home park of the Chicago Cubs.
It will be the NHL’s second Winter Classic. Last season in Buffalo, the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Sabres, 2-1, before a crowd of 71,217 in Ralph Wilson Stadium. Snow fell during the game and the Pens won on Sidney Crosby’s goal in a shootout.
It will mark the third regular-season outdoor game in NHL history. The Edmonton Oilers hosted the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 22, 2003.
The game, beginning at 1 p. m. EST, will be televised nationally on NBC.
The matchup will be the 701st meeting between the Red Wings and Blackhawks — no NHL opponents have played more regular-season games against one another than these two fierce rivals. Red Wings fans often make the trip to Chicago when their team faces the Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks are one of the NHL’s upcoming teams. Rookie of the Year Patrick Kane, a South Buffalo product, will be joined next season by free agent pickup Brian Campbell, the former Sabres defenseman.
“The NHL is delighted to bring its most historic rivalry to one of the most historic venues in sports,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said.
