Put on your beanies and parkas Boston Bruins fans. It appears that the Winter Classic may have a bit of Black and Gold feel to it in the near future!
Boston Bruins at Chicago Blackhawks…outdoor hockey! The big news today in the hockey world revolves around the 2019 Winter Classic, and the revelation that it will feature these two teams. As reported by WEEI:
Report: Bruins will play Blackhawks in 2019 Winter Classic https://t.co/QBKQJrhHyI pic.twitter.com/Iu8GJ2rHEV
— WEEI (@WEEI) November 7, 2017
Obviously this is huge news for both the Bruins and the Blackhawks, as they are both Original 6 franchises and both fan bases love their respective teams. The game will be held in Notre Dame Stadium, in South Bend, Indiana. This is a great decision by the NHL to have two of the most historic American franchises play in the Winter Classic, and in such an iconic location.
Here in Boston, fans already know about the young, up-and-coming talent the Bruins have. This will allow a national audience to bear witness to exciting players like Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak. This also gives Anders Bjork a homecoming of sorts, as he played his college hockey at Notre Dame.
The positives of this game are endless. It is a rematch of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. It will show off two of the best defensive forwards in the league today in Patrice Bergeron and Jonathan Toews. The game will also feature two of the best goal scorers in the league in Patrick Kane and Brad Marchand. There will likely be incredible talent all over the ice for both teams.
This will be the Bruins third Winter Classic, but first on the road. They first hosted the Philadelphia Flyers in Fenway Park in 2010, and recently hosted the hated archrival Montreal Canadians in Gillette Stadium in 2016. When they defeated the Flyers in Fenway, they were the first home team to win the Winter Classic. They were however, soundly beaten by the Canadians in the 2016 edition of the Winter Classic.
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Even though the game is over a year away, it is easily one of the most anticipated games during the NHL season and with the Bruins and Blackhawks facing off, it will hopefully be a great Winter Classic and one game to remember.