Sorensen back at Winter Classic, this time behind Blackhawks bench against Blues

CHICAGO -- Anders Sorensen skated around the rink at Wrigley Field on Monday, the Chicago Blackhawks coach taking it all in when their practice began.

“It was kind of surreal being down there today. It was neat,” Sorensen said one day before he’ll coach the Blackhawks against the St. Louis Blues in the Discover Winter Classic at the iconic home of the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday (5 p.m. ET; TNT, truTV, MAX, SN TVAS).

“It was definitely a cool moment, a cool experience to be part of. And, yeah, something to remember for a long time.”

He will be much closer to the action this time than he was during the first Winter Classic at Wrigley Field in 2009.

For that game, a 6-4 win by the Detroit Red Wings against the Blackhawks on Jan. 1, 2009, Sorensen was in the crowd, cheering on his friend, Mikael Samuelsson, who was a Red Wings forward.

“In the nosebleeds, all the way up at the top, with my wife,” Sorensen said. “Literally all the way back by the fence, by the chicken wire.”

At the time, Sorensen was coaching at Chicago Mission, one of the area’s top AAA hockey clubs. Making the day even better, Samuelsson scored a power-play goal against the Blackhawks at 9:50 of the first period.

“It was awesome,” he said. “The whole experience was one of a kind and something I still remember. It was such a buzz in the building. Even though it was a little far away to watch, there was so much energy in the stands.

“Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. It was cold (32 degrees Fahrenheit). It was really cold. It doesn’t sound like we’re going to get that (this year).”

No, this one shouldn’t be nearly as chilly although it could be breezy. Tuesday’s forecast calls for periods of snow and rain, with wind gusts up to 28 mph, and a high of 40 degrees.

While he was seated far away for the 2009 game, Sorensen did get a closer look at the setting at Wrigley the day before that game.

“I was down there for the practice the day before because of Samuelsson,” Sorensen said. “I brought my son down. We were watching practice and all that and we were supposed to go down to the locker room, the Red Wings locker room, but my son (Anton, 7 at the time) decided he wanted hot chocolate from Starbucks instead. So, we left.”

It’s been quite a trek back to Wrigley Field for Sorensen.

He joined the Blackhawks organization in 2013-14, when he was a development coach, a role he had for five seasons. He became the coach of Rockford in the American Hockey League in 2018-19.

He became the Blackhawks interim coach on Dec. 5, replacing the fired Luke Richardson. He’s trying to right the ship of a struggling team, trying to get some consistency in every facet of their game.

When he took over, the Blackhawks were 8-16-2, and are 4-7-0 since the coaching change.

Now he gets to coach an NHL outdoor game for the first time. It's something Sorensen didn’t foresee a few months ago.

“No, I didn't imagine it,” Sorensen said of where he is now. “No, I wasn't really thinking about that.”

But now the big day is here, and Sorensen can’t wait.

“I mean, just looking forward to it,” Sorensen said. “It should be an awesome experience. Obviously, it is a game, and the focus is on that as well. But I’ll be just trying to be in the moment. I’m really looking forward to the whole atmosphere.”