Outdoor hockey will return to Chicago when the Chicago Blackhawks host the Pittsburgh Penguins at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 1, 2014, at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, the NHL announced Wednesday.
The event is part of the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series, in which the NHL plans to play a number of regular-season games in outdoor facilities during the 2013-14 season. The NHL intends to announce more outdoor regular-season games in the coming weeks.
"Our fans and our teams love outdoor games and we are thrilled the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series will present a number of these experiences to a large number of our fans in a variety of National Hockey League markets," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "The Chicago game, at Soldier Field, will be a match-up of two recent Stanley Cup champions at an iconic stadium. We thank the Blackhawks and Penguins, Coors Light, Soldier Field and everyone involved in what will be a memorable, exciting and fun event."
The Soldier Field game will mark the second time the Blackhawks will host an outdoor regular-season game. At the 2009 Winter Classic, 40,818 packed Wrigley Field, plus thousands of other fans filled the famed rooftop seats across the street from the ballpark, to watch the Detroit Red Wings beat the Blackhawks 6-4.
"The Chicago Blackhawks are privileged to be included in the National Hockey League's Stadium Series," Blackhawks president and CEO John McDonough said. "Hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins at iconic Soldier Field promises to be a unique experience for our organization and our fans."
The Penguins will be taking part in their third outdoor game. They beat the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in a shootout in the first Winter Classic, in 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills, and in 2011 lost 3-1 to the Washington Capitals in a game played at Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"The Penguins are excited to be selected for the NHL Stadium Series in Chicago, and it will be a special honor for our players to be able to skate at Soldier Field," David Morehouse, CEO and president of the Penguins, said. "Soldier Field is one of the iconic venues in our country, a stadium that's filled with so much sports history. We look forward to writing a new chapter with the Blackhawks on March 1."
This will be second time hockey has been played at Soldier Field, which opened in 1924. On Feb. 17, 52,051 watched four college teams play a doubleheader dubbed the Hockey City Classic -- Notre Dame beat Miami University in one game, and the University of Wisconsin beat the University of Minnesota in the second.
"Returning hockey to where it originated, in the cold elements of an outdoor rink, by playing at Soldier Field in Chicago will no doubt be a game the players will have circled on next season's schedule," said Mathieu Schneider, NHLPA Special Assistant to the Executive Director. "This will be a great event for hockey fans in Chicago and Pittsburgh, and one that they won't soon forget."
