Kyle Manske saw the New Jersey Devils defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Feb. 17. He enjoyed it so much that he surprised his girlfriend, Paige Gleason, with tickets to the Winter Classic, her first NHL game.

On a rainy Saturday at Wrigley Field, The St. Louis Blues rolled past the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2025 NHL Winter Classic, 6-2. The Blues lit up the scoreboard, and that outburst of offense came from the defense.

When the NHL announced in February the 2024 Winter Classic would be held in Chicago, some wondered why they’d put the Blackhawks back in the national spotlight. The answers were quite obvious: Connor Bedard and Wrigley Field.