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Chicago Blackhawks Arrived in Style to Winter Classic at Wrigley Field
The Chicago Blackhawks made a grand entrance to Wrigley Field for their showdown against the St. Louis Blues in the 16th edition of the NHL Winter Classic.
First, the Blackhawks boarded Chicago's Red Line train, sticks and skates in hand, to make their way to the stadium.
This train is running express to the Winter Classic. pic.twitter.com/YNVRKjaSbd
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 31, 2024
Doors open on the left at the Winter Classic. pic.twitter.com/IAp4sgGr3U
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 31, 2024
From there, the squad followed a bagpipe procession from the train stop and into the stadium as fans cheered alongside.
The Blackhawks arrive at Wrigley Field coming off the Red Line: pic.twitter.com/9zi365X9PH
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) December 31, 2024
The Blackhawks had a bagpipe procession down the alley and into Wrigley for the #WinterClassic 🔥 pic.twitter.com/LQaSNyI12J
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 31, 2024
So very Chicago.
Tuesday is the second time Wrigley Field has hosted the Winter Classic, with the first instance coming back in 2009 between the Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings. The Blackhawks and Blues faced off in the 2017 Winter Classic at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
This year's Winter Classic features young Blackhawks' star Connor Bedard, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. As he practiced with the Blackhawks at Wrigley Field the day before the game, Bedard spoke to the uniqueness of the event.
“It's one of the coolest experiences of my life so far,” Bedard said via Jay Cohen of The Associated Press. “And obviously the game hasn't even started yet. So I'm looking forward to it.”
The puck drops between the Blackhawks (12-23-2) and Blues (17-17-4) at 5 p.m. ET on New Year's Eve.
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Blake Silverman is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys and A10Talk. He graduated from Michigan State University before receiving a master's in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University. Outside of work, he's probably binging the latest Netflix documentary, at a yoga studio or enjoying everything Detroit sports. A lifelong Michigander, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, young son and their personal petting zoo of two cats and a dog.