Discover NHL Winter Classic planning New Year's Eve celebration at Wrigley Field

CHICAGO – About 50 percent of the work remains, but Wrigley Field is looking like an ice hockey venue more by the day in preparation for the Discover NHL Winter Classic on Tuesday (5 p.m. ET; TNT, truTV, MAX, SN, TVAS).

“These are the exciting days for us,” president of NHL content and events Steve Mayer said Friday at the iconic ballpark, home of the Chicago Cubs, where the Chicago Blackhawks will host the St. Louis Blues on New Year’s Eve.

“We put that rink out there, start building ice and we lay down an armor deck across the whole field and now it’s the next layer, which is the graphics, that sort of bring this to life. That’s the exciting part. That’s when it starts to feel real. That’s when you realize you’re within a week of the game.”

Mayer said there are some structures and staging pieces that still have to be erected as well as graphics installed. The ice is close to being finished, but crews still need to add another layer. Mayer said the ice is about 1 1/2 inches thick and the League likes it to be two inches thick for outdoor games.

“You’ll see the progress with each day,” Mayer said. “It’s pretty dramatic as we get closer.”

This is the second time the Blackhawks have hosted a Winter Classic at Wrigley. The first was Jan. 1, 2009, when they lost 6-4 to the Detroit Red Wings. It’s the second time the NHL has held the Winter Classic more than once in the same park; the 2010 and 2023 editions were played at Fenway Park in Boston.

This is the first Winter Classic on New Year’s Eve, and the NHL is playing into that in a big way. A staging area in right field, which is nearly complete, will host partygoers and feature a dance party hosted by DJ Oreo of Chicago during the second intermission.

“Uniquely, bringing fans on the field is something we just did for the first time last year,” Mayer said of the 2024 Winter Classic between the Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. “We thought it worked well, so they’re going to get a really up-close feel and look to the game. It’s just going to add to the overall ambiance and why we moved from New Year’s Day to New Year’s Eve.”

Fans will also get to partake in New Year’s Eve celebrations around the world. As each takes place, that respective celebration will be shown on the video boards, located in left and right fields.

"Throughout the day and night, we’re just going to take in other celebrations. Again, wanting to sort of start off Chicago’s celebration and do it right here at Wrigley Field,” Mayer said. “We know once our game ends, everybody’s going to dump out into the streets, go home and get ready for other parties, but this is the first of the New Year’s Eve parties in Chicago.”

The League also wants to lean heavily into Wrigley and Chicago familiarities. This game will have its own rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” much as there was in 2009 when “Take Me Out to the Hockey Game” was sung in the third period by former Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg and then-Blackhawks ambassadors Denis Savard, Bobby Hull, Tony Esposito and Stan Mikita.

The entertainment features Chicago natives. Two-time Grammy award-winning alternative rock band Smashing Pumpkins will begin festivities by performing some of its greatest hits, including “Tonight, Tonight,” during pregame and player introductions. Grammy-award winning Chance the Rapper, also a Chicago native, will headline the first intermission performance presented by Ticketmaster.

On the hockey side, former Blackhawks defenseman Chris Chelios and forwards Savard and Jeremy Roenick will be on the ice for the ceremonial puck drop. All three have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (Savard in 2000, Chelios in 2013 and Roenick last month).

During the second intermission the NHL will also begin its 2025 celebrations by highlighting the Blackhawks and Blues first and second Quarter Century Teams, honoring the best players from each team from the past 25 years.

The weather has been cooperating for preparations, and it should for the game as well – the latest from accuweather.com shows Tuesday’s weather as cloudy with a chance of rain and snow at times and a high of 41 degrees Fahrenheit.

The stage is almost set for a rocking hockey party at an iconic baseball field.

“This is one of the great landmarks in professional sports. We recognize that, we’re honored that we’re here, we’re honored we’re able to do a second game at Wrigley Field, and our fans love it. The response, not only from those in Chicago but NHL fans across the globe, they’re really excited about coming back to Wrigley,” Mayer said.

“I think they’re wondering what we have in store for the game and it’s up to us to deliver.”