Chicago natives highlight the entertainment front. It was announced Thursday that The Smashing Pumpkins will play during pregame festivities and will also be part of the opening introductions of players. Chance The Rapper, who also is from Chicago, will perform during the first intermission.
The League also revealed an illustrated preview of Wrigley’s transformation for the Winter Classic. The NHL, in collaboration with Seattle-based Analog Heart, took inspiration from Chicago’s architecture, rivers and parks, as well as Wrigley’s famed brick and ivy.
“There are so many factors when it comes to how we do the field design, but one of the things we immediately said is, ‘All right, how are we replicating the ivy?’ Because it dies on the wall,” Mayer said. “So, we’ll have an ivy wall in center field, there’ll be ivy around the rinks around, and then there’s graphic nods to it all over. We looked at the rivers and the bridges as being such an iconic piece and they will actually be activated, so there’ll be movement on both of those areas, which I think will be unique and a bit different.
“Colors were important. We really leaned into the marquee red (on the Wrigley Field sign) and you’ll see it’ll feel very uniquely Blackhawks/marquee red. The field design is always a big factor because you want people to walk into the door and say, ‘Wow,’ and usually they do. So, that was part of how we looked at creating this environment, in particular.”
Mayer said there also will be an auxiliary rink in left field and a New Year’s Eve party in right field.
“This is the first of our Winter Classics to be played on New Year’s Eve, so we’re really leaning into that New Year’s Eve party atmosphere,” Mayer said. “There’ll be people on the field, people in the party area and we’re going to celebrate some of the New Year’s celebrations from around the world as they take place throughout the day. We’ll celebrate out there and it’ll be a big part of the TV coverage.”
Matsuzaki said the League will utilize all the changes that have occurred in and around Wrigley since the 2009 game.
“There are definitely a lot more hospitality spaces involved, warmer areas,” he said. “It’s easier to move about the building and it’s a lot more winterized now. We had heaters going in the washrooms all December last time we were here to keep pipes from freezing.
“Having Gallagher Way (an open-air green space adjacent to Wrigley) outside to be able to activate, we’ll use as perimeter, and our partners at TNT will have a pregame event out there for fans to come down early to enjoy.”
