CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS LOSE TO ST. LOUIS BLUES IN WINTER CLASSIC
The Chicago Blackhawks, winless in all five of the NHL’s showcase Winter Classic events they have played in, fell to the St. Louis Blues 6-2 in the first-ever New Year’s Eve NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. The Blues, led by superfan and Hollywood actor Jon Hamm, dominated the game, scoring four goals in the first period and cruising to victory.
Jon Hamm, who was in attendance and wearing his trusty, old Blues cap, expressed his excitement after the game. “We won! We scored early and often and thoroughly dominated and it was excellent,” he told CNN.
The Blues got off to a hot start, with defenseman Cam Fowler scoring two goals, including his 1000th NHL game played. The team worked the puck around the Blackhawks’ defense, culminating with Jordan Kyrou converting into a nearly empty net to make it 2-0. The Blues added two more goals in the second period to take a 4-1 lead.
Chicago’s Taylor Hall answered for the Wrigley faithful to cut the lead in half, scoring off a big rebound on a power play. However, the Blues upped the lead to 5-1 with Dylan Holloway scoring a rebound goal. The Blackhawks scored one more goal in the third period, but it was too little, too late.
The game marked the NHL’s 42nd outdoor game, and Commissioner Gary Bettman praised the unique experience. “When we go to iconic places like Wrigley Field, and we dress them up and turn them into a hockey venue, it’s really special for us, for the players and most importantly for the fans,” he said.
Bettman also teased the location of next year’s Winter Classic, saying an announcement would be made soon and would be a surprise. “Next week, give or take. It’s going to be a little unusual. It’s going to be a little more unique – some people will think we’ve lost our minds. But we aren’t ready to announce it but we will soon, and it’s going to be good.”
