What Fans Need To Know About The 2025 NHL Winter Classic

The 2025 NHL Winter Classic, the league’s annual outdoor game, is being held in the waning hours of 2024.  The Chicago Blackhawks will host the St. Louis Blues at Wrigley Field on 12/31 at 5 PM EST/4 PM CST.

The set-up at Wrigley Field is almost complete for tomorrow’s NHL Winter Classic 🔥

(📸: @barrybutler9) pic.twitter.com/labCYaMt9Q

— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) December 30, 2024

This is the first time the Winter Classic will be held on New Year’s Eve.  The NHL did not want to compete with CFP and Bowl games on New Year’s Day.

nhl scheduling makes no sense. Why not make the winter classic the only game played tomorrow? Also why is it on Dec 31st instead of did New Year’s Day like last year? Now there’s two 2024 Winter Classics

— lillian (@larsanthem) December 31, 2024

Weather should not be a significant factor this year.

With a 4 p.m. start, this might not be so bad for the Winter Classic, as long as the rain clears out early enough. Some light snow always makes for a cooler experience. pic.twitter.com/Isp4WTZAFd

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) December 28, 2024

Facts About The NHL Winter Classic

1. The NHL instituted the Winter Classic in 2008. The highly anticipated annual event has been canceled two times (2013 for the NHL lockout and 2021 for the COVID-19 pandemic).
2. January 1, 2024, marked the first time the event occurred on the West Coast as the Seattle Kracken hosted the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners.
3. This is a rematch of the 2017 Winter Classic won by the Blues at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri.
4. 105,491 was the largest attendance for an NHL Winter Classic in 2014. The Detroit Red Wings lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 3-2 shootout at the University of Michigan’s Big House in Ann Arbor.
5. The Blues have appeared and won in two Winter Classics. The Blackhawks have appeared in four and have not won any.
6. This is the second time Wrigley Field is the site for the Winter Classic.  The first was in 2009 when the Blackhawks lost to the Detroit Red Wings.  No other venue has hosted the Winter Classic more than one time.
7. Unique Winter Classic uniforms are produced for each team.  The Blackhawks will be wearing red jerseys, and the Blues will be wearing white jerseys.

Watch the 2025 NHL Winter Classic on TNT and truTV at 5 PM EST on 12/31.  It will be livestreamed on Sling.