SOUTH BEND, IN – In what will be the 11th Winter Classic and 26th regular season outdoor game since the inaugural game in Buffalo when the Sabres hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008, the risk of saturation has been offset with hosting these special events at unique venues along with a match-up of appealing combatants. The Blackhawks and Bruins have often been the logical choice.
Of the ten Winter Classic games, Chicago and Boston have appeared in half of them with a combined record of 1-4-0. Add the other outdoor games the clubs have appeared in seven contests combining for a 2-5-0 record, not a stellar one, but still, the appeal strong for these teams in major events.
The Chicago Blackhawks have been involved in three Winter Classic events, going winless at 0-3. They hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field, losing 6-4 in front of a crowd of 40,818. Six years later, the travelled to Washington D.C. to battle the Capitals at Nationals Park, losing 3-2 in front of 42,832. Two years ago, the battled their arch rival St. Louis, falling to the Blues 4-1 at Busch Stadium while 46,556 witnessed.
The Boston Bruins are 1-1 in Winter Classic games. They defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in overtime at Fenway Park in 2010 where 38,112 packed the famed ballpark. Six years later, the Bruins hosted the rival Montreal Canadiens at Gillette Stadium, losing 5-1 in front of 67,246.
For Chicago, they will be the home team with the Windy City being just two hours west of South Bend, IN. For the Bruins, the tie to the Irish community, of which the famed university is aligned, comes from among other things that nearly one-fourth of the population of Boston identify with an Irish identity.
The lengthy history of these teams as two of the NHL’s original six franchises helps to add staying power to popularity. Boston is the 3rd oldest team in the league having joined in 1924 while Chicago is tied with New York and Detroit for 4th oldest, all three of them joining the NHL in 1926. The multi-generational appeal helps with supporters of both clubs travelling to contesting taking place far away from home.
Add to it the epic battle during the 2013 Stanley Cup Final, a six-game victory for the Blackhawks, and the interconference match-up, despite the current reversing fortunes of the clubs, keeps interest alive where these two teams are involved.
One thing new this season is the location of the venue. Notre Dame Stadium marks the first time in the outdoor game’s history where the contest will be played in a non-NHL market.
Sep 2, 2017; South Bend, IN, USA; An aerial view of Notre Dame Stadium during the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Temple Owls. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
In the spirit of keeping the 1930’s theme of this event, the famed stadium has an 88-year history, opening in the Fall of 1930. It currently seats 77,622 and if it can reach capacity, will mark the 2nd largest attendance in the 26-game circuit. Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor hosted 105,491 at the 2014 Winter Classic when Toronto defeated Detroit 3-2 in a shootout.
Notre Dame Stadium has some unique features, including what can be viewed from inside the venue and to the north, just outside and over the upper rim of the seating bowl. There you will find “Touchdown Jesus”, a nickname given to the large mural entitled The Word of Life by Millard Sheets of the resurrected Jesus.
Installed in 1964 on the Hesburgh Library, the mosaic wall looms over the stadium. The mural’s nickname is derived from Jesus’ upraised arms, which are similar in appearance to the raised arms of a referee signifying a touchdown, or in the case of the Winter Classic, a player celebrating a scored goal. The expansion of the stadium in the late 1990s partially obscured the view of the mural from the playing field, but you can still set it.
The great history of the school, campus and athletic programs are on display with the “golden dome”, statues of the Fighting Irish football team’s iconic coaches and the tremendous legacy of success are all on display at Notre Dame Stadium. Adding two of the NHL’s most storied franchise for a mid-season battle only makes sense and the result should be quite a memorable time in South Bend.
Dennis Morrell is a long-time hockey writer, photographer, coach, player and USA Hockey-certified referee who loves the game and those connected to it. He can be reached at dennis.morrell@prohockeynews.com and you can follow him on Twitter at DMMORRELL.
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