'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgP/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMzlio//xAAiEAABAwIGAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAQMFAAIGBxQiIyUxMmL/2gAIAQEAAT8Ahsz5BoJkYtSiiEs439W7aqL9bqJxtNqS73Eh7r4er//EABQRAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/2gAIAQIBAT8Af//EABQRAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/2gAIAQMBAT8Af//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues will face off in the Winter Classic tonight at 5 p.m. EST. It is going to be an outdoor hockey game, since they're playing this special event at Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs.
This is a unique opportunity for fans and players alike, but the outdoor status means that hockey is now subject to what other sports often have to deal with: the weather.
The Cubs have to contend with rain when they play. In some instances, they have to deal with cold weather, too, which is going to undoubtedly impact tonight's contest.
The Winter Classic is going to be a cold one. The temperature in Chicago at puck drop is projected to be 37 degrees Fahrenheit. It's only going to drop from there. It will be around 35 degrees when the game ends.
Trending
Fortunately, it's only supposed to be cloudy at that time. There are some expected rain/snow showers in the area during the afternoon, but those are expected to clear out before puck drop. This could mean the ice is a little slippery during the game, though.
What was the coldest Winter Classic game of all-time?
Tonight's Winter Classic is, like its predecessors, going to be outside. Most hockey games are indoors in covered arenas, so this is a rarity for the NHL. They do this every year, so there's always a very cold game on the schedule.
Tonight's game is expected to hover around 36 or 37 degrees Fahrenheit for the duration, but have there been any colder games in NHL history? One game, the coldest in NHL history, was far colder than tonight's will be.
In 2022, the Classic was held in Minneapolis at Target Field, the home of the Minnesota Twins. It was a frigid -7 degrees. The wind chill made it feel like -18. The temperature dropped to about -9 before the game ended.
The cold didn't seem to slow down the two sides. The St. Louis Blues defeated the Minnesota Wild, who will undoubtedly enjoy how much warmer Chicago is than Minnesota was, by a score of 6-4.
