"I hope this flops hard": NHL fans left divided over reports of Chicago Blackhawks hosting 2025 Winter Classic

The Chicago Blackhawks are reportedly set to host the 2025 NHL Winter Classic.

On Tuesday, Blackhawks reporter Ben Pope reported that the Blackhawks will host the St. Louis Blues at Wrigley Field on Jan. 1 in the 2025 NHL Winter Classic Game.

Following the report, several NHL fans were annoyed that the Blackhawks will once again be involved in the Winter Classic.

"I hope this flops hard," a fan wrote.

"It won’t," an X user posted. "When the Hawks are interesting, they are the biggest ratings juggernaut for the NHL in the U.S. It’s why the draft was rigged to get Bedard to Chicago in the first place."

"League's obsession with the Blackhawks has to be studied, why reward this franchise after so many issues that were surely problematic for the league's image. I don't get it."

"I’ll be the rare Blackhawks fan who is disinterested. The Hawks have played in several of these, and it doesn’t excite me anymore. The team isn’t going to contend next year. Honestly, it’s a little early to play in a showcase game from a hockey perspective."

It appears NHL fans are annoyed that the Chicago Blackhawks are getting another outdoor game, especially when their team isn't expected to be good next year.

However, Chicago does have Connor Bedard, who is one of the faces of the league, so having him play in a Winter Classic does make sense.

How many Winter Classic's have the Chicago Blackhawks played in?

If the Chicago Blackhawks do play in the 2025 NHL Winter Classic, as reported, it will be their fifth time participating in the annual outdoor game.

Chicago hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field in 2009, visited the Washington Capitals at Nationals Park in 2015, visited the St. Louis Blues at Busch Stadium in 2017 and hosted the Boston Bruins at Notre Dame Stadium in Indiana in 2019.

The Blackhawks have also played in two Stadium Series outdoor games, hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins at Soldier Field in 2014 and visiting the Minnesota Wild at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis in 2016.

With the number of Winter Classic and outdoor games the Blackhawks have played in, many fans are annoyed the NHL would select Chicago to host it again.

However, it was reported shortly after the 2024 Winter Classic that the Blackhawks would be in the running to host the game. The 2024 Winter Classic featured the Seattle Kraken hosting the Vegas Golden Knights, and it was the lowest-rated edition of the event, with just 1.1 million viewers.

Meanwhile, the Blackhawks have proven to be a rating success, especially with Bedard, which likely impacted the NHL's decision.