* With 1,415 NHL games in the books since New Year’s Day 2024, only 13 remain before the calendar turns as the last day of the year includes the Discover NHL Winter Classic, resumption of The Gr8 Chase and 11 hours of continuous action.
* The first NHL outdoor game on New Year’s Eve will pit Connor Bedard and the host Blackhawks against Brayden Schenn and the rival Blues at Wrigley Field in Chicago, with puck drop slated or 5 p.m. ET on TNT, MAX, truTV, Sportsnet and TVA Sports.
* The updated Discover NHL Winter Classic #NHLStats Pack features several notes and resources ahead of today’s game. The Discover NHL Winter Classic Interactive Information Guide is also available on the League’s Media site.
BLACKHAWKS, BLUES BEGIN NEW YEAR’S EVE COUNTDOWN WITH WINTER CLASSIC
The Blackhawks and Blues lead the New Year’s Eve countdown by starting the celebration early by squaring off outdoors in the Discover NHL Winter Classic at the iconic home of the MLB’s Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field. The 42nd regular-season outdoor game in League history, and first-ever Winter Classic rematch, will be available on TNT, MAX and truTV in the United States as well as Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada.
* Connor Bedard leads the Blackhawks into their seventh regular-season outdoor game – the most by one team in NHL history and one more than the next closest (PIT & PHI, both w/ 6 GP). The 19-year-old (32-61—93 in 105 GP) has found the score sheet in four straight games and sits one point shy of tying Patrick Kane (29-65—94 in 99 GP) for the second-most career points by a Blackhawks teenager.
* Bedard owns the second-longest point streak by a teenager entering any outdoor game, behind only Auston Matthews’ five-game stretch ahead of the 2017 Centennial Classic with the Maple Leafs (4-3—7 in 5 GP). He would go on to score twice, which included the overtime winner with 80 seconds remaining in the extra frame.
* St. Louis is 2-0-0 in their previous two outdoor game appearances to date after first defeating Chicago at the 2017 Winter Classic and then Minnesota at the 2022 Winter Classic – an event that watched Jordan Kyrou (2-2—4) set an NHL record for most points in an outdoor game. The Blues can join the Rangers (5-0-0 from Jan. 2, 2012 – present) and Capitals (3-0-0 from Jan. 1, 2011 – March 3, 2018) as the third franchise to win each of its first three or more appearances in an outdoor game.
ICYMI: NHL in ASL, an alternate telecast dedicated completely to the Deaf community using American Sign Language (ASL), returns for the Discover NHL Winter Classic, airing exclusively in the U.S. on MAX and Sportsnet+ in Canada. Intermission guests will include Kevin Delaney, President of American Hearing Impaired Hockey Association (AHIHA), and David McGregor, a Deaf hockey referee with over 1,700 games officiated.
ROAD TO THE WINTER CLASSIC FINALE PREMIERES TODAY
The final episode of the four-part docuseries “Road To The Discover NHL Winter Classic presented by Enterprise” chronicling the Blackhawks and Blues leading up to the Discover NHL Winter Classic premieres today (3:30 p.m. ET on TNT in the U.S. & 4:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet in Canada). Cameras visit the pediatric floor of Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, a not-for-profit physical medicine and rehabilitation research hospital in Chicago, as Pat Maroon and his teammates encourage nine-year-old Cameron Baugh, while newly acquired Cam Fowler is adjusting to life in St. Louis after starting his career in Anaheim in 2010-11.
WINTER CLASSIC QUICK CLICKS
* Discover NHL Winter Classic By the Numbers
* Blues unveil new helmet logo ahead of Winter Classic
* Blues coaches Montgomery, Julien thrilled to be at Wrigley Field for Winter Classic
* Bedard ready to shine for Blackhawks in Winter Classic
* Blackhawks, Blues prepare for spectacle in finale of 'Road to the NHL Winter Classic'
HOME TEAMS SWEEP SECOND-LAST DAY OF 2024
The Jets, Panthers and Kraken all won at home Monday – three of the 1,415 games played since New Year’s Day 2024 (including playoffs) – with two of those clubs contesting their last game of 2024. Winnipeg will aim to add to its League-leading regular-season win total (both in 2024-25 and in the calendar year) during today’s 13-game slate.
* Connor Hellebuyck’s list of 2024 achievement grew ever longer Monday as the reigning Vezina Trophy and William M. Jennings Trophy winner extended his point streak to 10 games (9-0-1) and winning streak to six games to lift the Jets (27-10-1, 55 points) back into first place in the NHL standings, supplanting the idle Golden Knights (25-8-3, 53 points). Hellebuyck did so via his League-leading fifth shutout of 2024-25 and ninth since Jan. 1, 2024 – the most ever by a U.S.-born goaltender in a calendar year and most by any netminder in one year since 2015. Hellebuyck became the first netminder in NHL history with three winning streaks of six-plus games before New Year’s Day – with more than half to season to add to his totals. Details on his achievements are in the Dec. 30 edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates.
* The Panthers overcame a pair of tying goals by the Rangers to secure their 69th win of the calendar year (including playoffs), a franchise record and among the highest totals by any club over the past 39 years.
* After sparking a three-goal comeback victory Saturday, Jaden Schwartz (1-2—3) again ignited the Kraken by netting the go-ahead, game-winning goal in the third period to help his team win its first-ever showdown with the Utah Hockey Club. Schwartz helped Seattle stage its 10th comeback win of the season and second in a row – the third time in 2024-25 they’ve rallied to win consecutive contests (also Oct. 10-19 and Nov. 8-12). The Kraken have never claimed three straight wins, all via comeback.
* The **2024 Year in Review by NHL Stats** will be updated and distributed on New Year’s Day.
QUICK CLICKS
* NHL ‘Three Stars’ of the Week pres. by GEICO: Mark Scheifele, Rasmus Dahlin, Zach Werenski
* Flyers’ Matvei Michkov fined for high-sticking
* Blackhawks’ Patrick Maroon fined for elbowing
* Stars fined $100,000 for violating Collective Bargaining Agreement
* NHL EDGE stats to watch in Winter Classic
NHL SET TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH 11 HOURS OF ACTION
With the Discover NHL Winter Classic serving as the focal point on the final day of 2024, a 13-game slate in the NHL will provide 11 hours of continuous action as part of the New Year’s Eve countdown, beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet when Alex Ovechkin continues The Gr8 Chase in his first home game in nearly seven weeks. Click here to view pre-game notes on all 13 New Year’s Eve contests.
