Rumor: Hawks in 2025 Winter Classic

[BKIslandersFan]

Am I the only one who cares more about the venue than the teams involved? If it’s Chicago again as long as it’s not Wrigley again…

 

[GKJ]

Is Guarented rate field no good somehow? They’ve already done Wrigley and Solider Field, the latter a stadium series game. Against the Penguins.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Am I the only one who cares more about the venue than the teams involved? If it’s Chicago again as long as it’s not Wrigley again…

Prepare to be disappointed.

 

[BB79]

Prepare to be disappointed.

They did Fenway twice, I guess it only makes sense. I might be biased but Fenway worked really well because it's such a small park. In general I feel like small baseball stadiums work far better than huge football stadiums. Too much dead space around the rink.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Prepare to be disappointed.

Probably.

Wild-Blackhawks at Camp Randall would be dope.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

The league clearly wants it to be the marquee game of the season with the best ratings so it makes sense from that perspective. Again the NHL needs to either move the WC from NYD or try to make a switch between networks since with the expanded CFP there's an opening in the early timeslot on ABC starting 2025.

Get rid of Stadium Series, and move WC from NYD. That's what I would do.

 

[Kirk Van Houten]

Get rid of Stadium Series, and move WC from NYD. That's what I would do.

It would give back to the WC the factor of being the only game outside of a regular arena but I'm sure that the networks won't like that unless you make two games instead of game maybe but it feels like a lot.

 

[Yukon Joe]

It would give back to the WC the factor of being the only game outside of a regular arena but I'm sure that the networks won't like that unless you make two games instead of game maybe but it feels like a lot.

I feel like the WC is for the TV audience, but the Stadium Series is just for the local fans. There's something to be said for having a game every decade where you can double the attendance AND increase ticket prices because of the novelty of it...

 

[LadyStanley]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1795965936777748593

New Year's Eve not NYD?

 

[IU Hawks fan]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1795965936777748593

New Year's Eve not NYD?

Yes, that was announced awhile ago.

The CFP is now 3 games on NYD and 1 game on NYE night. This is before that game (and will be the lead in when TNT has that game in 2025).

 

[LadyStanley]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1859251439517741457

Jersey unveiling

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Kind of underwhelming outing from St. Louis. Too bad they didn't do something blue to give a good color contrast like the Wings/Leafs iteration.

 

[LadyStanley]

Free is good

 

[LadyStanley]

Music

 

[LadyStanley]

 

[rojac]

I feel like the WC is for the TV audience, but the Stadium Series is just for the local fans. There's something to be said for having a game every decade where you can double the attendance AND increase ticket prices because of the novelty of it...

The home teams for special games like the Gloabal Series, Winter Classic, Heritage Classic, and Stadium Series have those games bought out by the NHL. Basically, the league pays them what they'd typically make on the game. The game is then run by the NHL and all revenues are league revenues. The home team doesn't really make any extra off such games,

 

[Yukon Joe]

The home teams for special games like the Gloabal Series, Winter Classic, Heritage Classic, and Stadium Series have those games bought out by the NHL. Basically, the league pays them what they'd typically make on the game. The game is then run by the NHL and all revenues are league revenues. The home team doesn't really make any extra off such games,

So on the one hand you are correct - I have read that before. The local team just gets it's usual gate paid by the league.

On the other hand though - I think my point is still valid. Stadium Series games aren't much of a national draw (unlike the Winter Classic), but rather are more of interest to the fans of the teams involved.

 

[rojac]

So on the one hand you are correct - I have read that before. The local team just gets it's usual gate paid by the league.

On the other hand though - I think my point is still valid. Stadium Series games aren't much of a national draw (unlike the Winter Classic), but rather are more of interest to the fans of the teams involved.

Your original point seemed to be very heavy on it being cash grab for the home team. But yes, there are some marketing benefits to it for the home team.

 

[aqib]

Ryan Field is under construction, Northwestern isn't even playing there next year.

Although Northwestern's temporary stadium would be an awesome visual for TV. Like the Lake Tahoe games during Covid were.

 

[LadyStanley]

On the other hand though - I think my point is still valid. Stadium Series games aren't much of a national draw (unlike the Winter Classic), but rather are more of interest to the fans of the teams ininvolved.

Always seems to be a NHL contest for fans of the other 30 teams to win trip/tickets to Winter Classic.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Ratings utterly bombed.

Winter Classic posts awful TV ratings: Blackhawks-Blues wasn't draw NHL hoped

Only 920,000 viewers watched the Hawks' blowout loss on Tuesday on TNT and TruTV, per Sports Media Watch.

chicago.suntimes.com

Golly gee, who would've thought that doing a venue retread with a significantly worse version of a team would be a ratings black hole?

 

[gstommylee]

Ratings utterly bombed.

Winter Classic posts awful TV ratings: Blackhawks-Blues wasn't draw NHL hoped

Only 920,000 viewers watched the Hawks' blowout loss on Tuesday on TNT and TruTV, per Sports Media Watch.

chicago.suntimes.com

Golly gee, who would've thought that doing a venue retread with a significantly worse version of a team would be a ratings black hole?

I think the bigger issue is that it was on the 31st of December instead of January 1st and people were watching other sport events on tv (other hockey games specifically WJC, college football etc ) and doing New Years eve stuff. Of course viewer ratings would be down. They should have had it on the first. I wonder if TNT had something to do with why it was on the 31st.

 

[Yukon Joe]

Ratings utterly bombed.

I wonder to what extent moving it to NYE may have influenced ratings?

I sort-of get not wanting to go against NCAA Bowl games - but that's always been an issue.

Instead though they go up against a whole bunch of NHL teams that have traditions of playing on NYE, instead of having Jan 1 to themselves (at least hockey-wise).

 

[IU Hawks fan]

I wonder to what extent moving it to NYE may have influenced ratings?

I sort-of get not wanting to go against NCAA Bowl games - but that's always been an issue.

Instead though they go up against a whole bunch of NHL teams that have traditions of playing on NYE, instead of having Jan 1 to themselves (at least hockey-wise).

Usually it's been against meaningless games, not the playoff.

But NYE is tough, not everyone has off and there were tons of other games scheduled. They should move it to the Sunday before the Super Bowl.

 

[jkrdevil]

Usually it's been against meaningless games, not the playoff.

But NYE is tough, not everyone has off and there were tons of other games scheduled. They should move it to the Sunday before the Super Bowl.

Sunday before the Super Bowl is usually the All-Star Game.

Anyways the big reason the ratings bombed was because you had two teams who are awful, and were expected to be awful. Both teams had fired their coach already. A matchup between two teams closer to last place (and one in last places) than first place isn’t going to draw.