St. Louis Hosts the 2017 NHL Winter Classic
This year, the NHL Winter Classic will be held at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The St. Louis Blues will face the Chicago Blackhawks on January 2nd, 2017. This will be the ninth Winter Classic to be held, an annual tradition of playing a regular-season game outdoors, reminiscent of the simpler days of pond hockey. It has only ever been played in the US, and while only inaugurated in 2008, this game garners the NHL some of its highest attendance and television ratings. This Winter Classic is particularly special, as it will mark not only the celebration of 100 years of the NHL, but also pay homage to a particularly special anniversary for the St. Louis Blues themselves. The 2017 Winter Classic will start their 50th anniversary season off with a bang, and it will be their first outdoor regular-season game.
Their fellow Central Division adversary, the Chicago Blackhawks, is not unfamiliar with this particular spotlight. They have competed in the Winter Classic in both 2009 and 2015, and though they have not won an appearance there yet, they are looking at this year to finally emerge victorious. Though the St. Louis Blues beat the Chicago Blackhawks in seven games in the Western Conference First Round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Blackhawks are by no means pushovers. If these last few Stanley Cups are any indication, it will be an intense battle up until the end. In their 90th season, the Blackhawks look for yet another opportunity to rise to a new level with the help of the Winter Classic.
In addition to the Winter Classic itself, an alumni game will be played on December 31st, and will include Hall of Fame members such as Bernie Federko, Al MacInnis, Brett Hull, and Chris Pronger. They will also have Kid Rock performing at the Scottrade Center on the same night. Be sure to look for the best ticket prices soon! You don’t want to miss out on this iconic match up.
