Dec 29 2008
NHL Winter Classic game on New Years day
CHICAGO - The New Year will start off with a bang for the NHL and its fans who have been anxiously awaiting the Winter Classic game between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks which will be played outdoors at historic Wrigley Field.
Thursday’s matinee game will be the 701st time these two original six teams have met.
Last year’s outdoor contest between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres was played at Ralph Wilson Stadium before more than 72,000 fans and ended with a Pens win when Sidney Crosby buried a shot during a shootout.
Many of the players of past outdoor contests said the biggest challenge is staying warmed up while on the bench between shifts and skating into the wind.
The Red Wings currently occupy first place in the Central Division standings just four points ahead of second-place Chicago.
