By: Brenna Carberry
As if the Chicago-St. Louis rivalry isn't intense enough already at this time of year - think Cubs-Cardinals - the Blackhawks and Blues are already gearing up for their Winter Classic battle in January.
Representatives from the National Hockey League, Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues gathered Tuesday at Busch Stadium to detail plans for the 2017 NHL Winter Classic, which will take place on Monday, Jan. 2, 2017 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
“With a strong and healthy rivalry already in place between the Blues and Blackhawks, sports fans across the country will be treated to an exciting game featuring some of the brightest stars in the League," said Blackhawks President and CEO John McDonough.
The Blackhawks-Blues rivalry has been in place for quite some time, but it really picked up steam last year when St. Louis eliminated Chicago from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now the archrivals will take their historic rivalry outside in an iconic ballpark that is sure to have a playoff atmosphere.
This year's Winter Classic will mark the NHL-high third Winter Classic appearance and fifth overall outdoor game for the Blackhawks organization. It will also mark the first time the Blues will host the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic and the first-ever regular-season outdoor game for the Club.
Additionally, it was announced Tuesday that legendary players from both the Blues and Blackhawks organizations will participate in a special alumni game at Busch Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2016, two days prior to the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. Fan-favorites will return to the ice to represent these organizations one more time and renew this great NHL rivalry.
NHL
Information on an exclusive ticket pre-sale for Blues season-ticket holders was released earlier today, while information on ticket sales for Blackhawks and Cardinals season-ticket holders will be sent to those groups by each team in the coming weeks. Information regarding ticket availability for the general public will be released at a later date.
Stay tuned for more information on the Winter Classic, including the unveiling of the jerseys that will be worn by the Blackhawks when they take the ice at Busch Stadium on January 2.
[SHOP: Gear up, Blackhawks fans!]