Since 2003 and except for the 2020 edition canceled by the pandemic, the ‘Winter Classic’ has become a reference match to promote professional ice hockey. Despite being played on January 1, it is played outdoors in an NFL or Major League baseball stadium. The brainchild of NBC Vice President John Miller became a drink for gamers and viewers this time around. Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins baseball, northern St. Paul town outside of Minneapolis, cOnadded 15,000 spectators, of the 40,000 originally planned, faced the Minnesota Wild against the St. Louis Blues.
The victory was for the visitors by 6-4, but what was truly relevant was the 25 degrees below zero that they endured due to the cold wave, the lowest temperature ever endured in the ‘Winter Classic’, that left many players with beards and hair frozen below the helmet. Extreme cold, strong wind and snow weren’t enough circumstances for the NHL to call off the game. “I’ve never had a worse time in my life,” said David Perron, Blues player. One last piece of information: the company responsible for the rink, JR Boyle, announced that the ice has frozen.