Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks are gearing up to face off against the St. Louis Blues in the 2025 Discover NHL Winter Classic, and it’s all going down on New Year’s Eve at the iconic Wrigley Field. This historic venue, home to Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs, previously hosted the second edition of the Winter Classic in 2009, where the Blackhawks battled — and lost to — the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Detroit Red Wings.
The NHL is at it again, throwing a fresh batch of rules into the mix that will most likely have fans yelling at the TV even more so than usual. Among the changes are situations subject to coach’s challenge, defensive team line change following dislodged net, faceoff warnings for centres and unsportsmanlike conduct — no more board-sitting, fellas. Each rule aims to keep the game flowing and reduce potential game delays, but we'll see just how smoothly these changes play out come game time.
