Winter Classic: Blackhawks Take The Train, Blues Pay Homage To Gretzky

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, and honestly, I’ll probably say it a few more times between now and puck drop, but — despite the geographic and historic rivalry — this year’s Winter Classic pitting the Chicago Blackhawks against the St. Louis Blues at Wrigley Field is one of the least intriguing matchups ever.

I mean, two teams outside the playoff picture one of which is contending for the top pick in the 2025 Draft?

It’s not exactly one we all had circled, but maybe it’ll give us a good game, and frankly, even a crappy outdoor NHL game is better than a good NBA game (Ooooooooh, I went there!).

But before the game gets underway, there’s a new tradition that has started over the last few years and it involves each team’s arrival at the stadium.

It usually means costumes or some kind of team uniform. Over the years we’ve seen baseball uniforms, fishmongers, and a pack of Elvis-es-es show up ahead of the Winter Classic.

So, what did the Blackhawks and Blues have in store for us this year?

Let’s start with the home team. This Winter Classic — for obvious reasons — has a lot of Chicago flavor (which to me tastes like an Italian Beef sandwich and some deep-dish pizza… mmmmm…). that could be seen with Blackhawks star Connor Bedard’s special stick for the occasion.

That continued with the Blackhawks taking the train to Wrigley…

…then they got a spectacular bagpipe escort down the street and into Wrigley Field.

Meanwhile, the Blues showed up to the rink wearing some merch from Gretzky’s Basement, a pop-up hockey museum displaying memorabilia from the Great One’s career.

Gretzky played 18 games for the Blues during the 1995-96 season. Over the summer, he signed with the New York Rangers with whom he finished out his career.

Let’s hope it’s a good one, but like I said, even a bad outdoor game in a historic venue like Wrigley — which becomes the first venue to host a second Winter Classic — is great.