Winter Classic returns to Wrigley
Wrigley Field will host the Discover NHL Winter Classic for the second time when the Chicago Blackhawks face the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 31 (5 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS). Wrigley, home of the Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs, also was the site of the 2009 Winter Classic, when the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Blackhawks 6-4. This time, the Blackhawks will be led by 19-year-old forward Connor Bedard, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and forward Teuvo Teravainen, who will play for Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Blues will be represented at 4 Nations by goalie Jordan Binnington and defenseman Colton Parayko, each of whom will play for Canada.
Quarter-Century Teams revealed
The Blues (Dec. 30) and Blackhawks (Dec. 31) will be first two to have their Quarter-Century Teams announced. Each club’s First Team and Second Team, each consisting of three forwards, two defensemen and one goalie who played in at least one game with the franchise since Jan. 1, 2000, were selected by a panel of media, retired players and executives specific to that club. A Quarter-Century Team will be revealed each day concluding with the Utah Hockey Club on Jan. 31. Following the club Quarter-Century Team announcements, a League-wide fan vote will be held Feb. 12-26 to determine the NHL Quarter-Century Team presented by SAP. Voting conducted on NHL.com and X will determine the top 25 NHL players of the past 25 years, regardless of position.
Eric Staal jersey retirement
Eric Staal will become the fourth player to have his number retired by the Carolina Hurricanes in a ceremony before they host the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 12. Staal, whose No. 12 will join Glen Wesley’s No. 2, Ron Francis‘ No. 10 and Rod Brind’Amour‘s No. 17 in the Lenovo Center rafters, played 12 of his 18 NHL seasons with Carolina, which selected him with the No. 2 pick in the 2003 NHL Draft. The 40-year-old was Hurricanes captain for seven seasons (2009-16). Since the franchise relocated to North Carolina in 1997, Staal is the Hurricanes leader in games (909), goals (322), assists (453) and points (775), and is second in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 43 points (19 goals, 24 assists) in 43 games. That includes an NHL-leading 28 points (nine goals, 19 assists) in 25 games when Carolina won the Stanley Cup in 2006.
Crosby climbing points list
Sidney Crosby should pass Joe Sakic for ninth on the NHL points list by the time he represents Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Pittsburgh Penguins forward had four points (one goal, three assists) in a 7-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, and now has 1,635 points (602 goals, 1,033 assists) in 1,308 games, leaving him six away from passing Sakic (1,641). The 37-year-old also needs one assist to pass Mario Lemieux for the all-time Penguins lead.
