Chill-inducing moments
The 2019 Winter Classic against the Bruins on Tuesday at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend., Ind., will be the Blackhawks’ sixth outdoor game, the most of any NHL team. Here’s how we’d rank the previous five, from worst to first.
5 Wild 6, Blackhawks 1 | Feb. 21, 2016 TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis (Stadium Series)
Conditions were nearly flawless in Minneapolis, but the Hawks seemed to be skating in slush. “That wasn’t anywhere near the way we can play,” said goaltender Corey Crawford, who was pulled for backup Scott Darling after allowing four goals in two periods. “It was a little embarrassing out there, to be honest.” Hawks defenseman Michal Rozsival was ejected in the second period after elbowing the Wild’s Jason Zucker in the head. “It was a spontaneous play as a defenseman in that situation,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “He just played the man, unfortunately the player was injured.” Not that it would have mattered much, but an apparent goal by Jonathan Toews was waved off when officials whistled him for goalie interference. “We need to learn a lesson from (this game) ... there aren’t going to be any easy games going forward,” Crawford said. “If we don’t bring everything, it’s going to end up like this.”
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Blues 4, Hawks 1 | Jan. 2, 2017
Busch Stadium,
St. Louis (Winter Classic)
Rain threatened to delay the game, but unfortunately for the Hawks, it cleared up long enough to play. League officials opted not to delay the noon start, which proved prudent. It rained before the game and rained heavily afterward, but conditions were dry during play, and most players said the ice was acceptable. The Blues broke a 1-1 tie with three goals in the third period, one of them on an errant pass from the Blues’ Vladimir Tarasenko that bounced off Hawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson’s skate and into the net. It was that kind of day. “We got away from our game plan, and I scored a goal in our own net,” Hjalmarsson said. “Then they got up 2-1. I thought overall we played a good game except for the last 10 minutes.” The previous 10 minutes weren’t so hot either — the Hawks didn’t manage a shot on goal in the third period until it was half over.
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Capitals 3, Hawks 2 | Jan. 1, 2015
Nationals Park, Washington (Winter Classic)
A sunny day with temperatures in the 40s usually would be a welcome respite during the winter, though it was hardly ideal for outdoor hockey. The game was nearly delayed by a persistent glare caused by sunlight reflecting off the ice, but officials decided to start on time rather than wait until shadows from the Nationals Park stands improved visibility. “Corey Crawford, the goaltender who was in the sun, (said) he was comfortable,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said, “and the two captains told us they were comfortable.” Play on, Bettman said, but not all the players agreed with the call. “It was not the best for us to play in that kind of weather,” Hjalmarsson said. “(It was) tough to see the puck and kind of dangerous. No one got hurt at least.” The game appeared to be headed for overtime, but with the Caps on a late power play — thanks to a questionable hooking call on Toews — former Hawk Troy Brouwer scored the differencemaker with 12.9 seconds left in regulation.
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Hawks 5, Penguins 1 March 1, 2014 Soldier Field (Stadium Series)
This is what everyone had in mind when the NHL started playing outdoor games: Snow, temperatures in the teens and a crowd of 62,000-plus all adding up to a postcard-perfect night for hockey on the lakefront. “Probably the greatest setting you could want,’’ Quenneville said. “Everybody went back to when they were kids. Everybody felt they were going outside and playing in the snow.’’ Toews scored twice, including an unassisted goal that featured moves he probably hadn’t used since his pondhockey days in Winnipeg. “It really felt like a real outdoor game,” teammate Patrick Sharp said. “There were no real systems or structure. We were just kind of hoisting the puck, slapping it around and having fun.”
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Red Wings 6, Hawks 4 Jan. 1, 2009 Wrigley Field (Winter Classic)
These outdoor games are more about the atmosphere than the outcome, and that’s why the Hawks’ first remains the most memorable. The Red Wings still held the upper hand in the rivalry, and they proved it by beating the Hawks for the second time in three days. The Hawks squandered a 3-1 lead and allowed the Wings to score the next five goals. “We let them off the hook,” Brent Seabrook said. “They’re the best team in the league, the Stanley Cup champions. We have to step on their throat and put the game out of reach when we have a chance.” But Chris Chelios, the former Hawk and Chicago native who was wearing the colors of the enemy, summed up why this game was so special. “Standing on the ice, looking at the surrounding rooftops and the bleachers and being on an ice surface in the middle of Wrigley Field is not a normal, everyday thing,” Chelios said. “You’re never going to get a better setting than this.”