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Blackhawks players unhappy with ice conditions at Wrigley Field for 2025 Winter Classic

Originally posted on Hawks Insider | By Joshua Deeds | Last updated Dec 31, 2024 10:30 AM ET

The 2025 Winter Classic is set to take place at Wrigley Field Tuesday with the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues battling it out again.

The two teams will meet for the second time in the Winter Classic, as the last time they matched up it was in 2017.

It appears that Wrigley Field isn't in the best shape, as two Blackhawks players have commented on the quality of the ice.

Nolan Allan and Jason Dickinson have been critical of the setup for the Winter Classic, as they feel they don't have the freedom they do on a regular NHL setup.

They felt the ice was too short, and the end boards felt too close for comfort.

Here's an video of the ice conditions currently:

While the backdrop is visually stunning, the players are the ones who will have to skate for 60 minutes on the ice and the shortened rink built on historic Wrigley Field.

Along with the boards not to the players' liking, it appears rain is likely Tuesday morning, and could possibly end before the game starts.

As it stands now, there's a 20% chance of rain and Wrigley Field could very well suffer the consequences, and could there be a delay or cancellation still?

A storm is brewing.

But hopefully, it's a Connor Bedard hat-trick instead of a rainout.

This will be an epic game, should the conditions hold, and the Blackhawks be able to play a full 60 minutes without interruptions.

Anders Sorensen is the first Swedish born-NHL head coach, and will carry that accolade into his first outdoor game while looking to improve the Blackhawks; record outdoors.

The team has played six outdoor matches, and will march into Wrigley with a 1-5-0 record.

This article first appeared on Hawks Insider and was syndicated with permission.

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