CHICAGO -- Mike Quigley felt the history and hopefully saw the future of hockey at Wrigley Field on Tuesday.
The congressman has represented Illinois’ 5th district since 2009, when the NHL Winter Classic was played for the first time at the iconic home of baseball’s Chicago Cubs.
Fifteen years later, the NHL’s annual showcase was back at the “Friendly Confines,” and Quigley was not only basking in the moment of the Discover NHL Winter Classic between his beloved Chicago Blackhawks and the rival St. Louis Blues, he visited kids skating on an auxiliary rink on the field.
“First of all, people watching the game will see some of the greatest athletes in this game,” Quigley told NHL.com. “Then they look over during a break in the game and see little kids doing the same things, and it just reminds them, ‘I can do that, I can try that.’ It also gives those kids who are out here on the ice a chance to skate at Wrigley Field. They might want to keep with the game.”
For Quigley, who grew up playing outdoor hockey in nearby Carol Stream, Illinois, spreading the word about the game of hockey is not just his passion, it’s a labor of love.
He is a founding member of and co-chair of the Congressional Hockey Caucus, a bipartisan group of Members of Congress dedicated to advocating for the expansion of hockey programs in America. In 2021, he was also instrumental in the effort to pass legislation to secure a Congressional Gold Medal for Willie O’Ree, the first Black player in NHL history. Quigley is also a co-sponsor of the Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act that was introduced by congressman Pete Stauber in October 2024.
The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress for distinguished contributions or achievements by an individual or group. The bill calls for the creation of three medals; one would be displayed at the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minnesota, while the others would be placed at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado, Springs, Colorado, and the Lake Placid (New York) Olympic Center.
Each year, Quigley participates in the annual Congressional Hockey Challenge, a charity hockey game between lawmakers, administration officials, and staff vs. lobbyists. Since 2009, the game has raised more than $1 million for charities including the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, USA Hockey Warriors Ice Hockey Program, Capital Warriors Beltway Hockey Program, the Tampa Warriors Hockey Heals event, and the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (which helped accelerate the development of the Professional Women’s Hockey League) and the NHL Foundation’s girl’s hockey empowerment fund.
On Tuesday, he was a spectator and fan, but felt an event like the Winter Classic can help his cause in growing the game.
“The fact that it’s a unique and special event, more people watch,” Quigley said. “If you just get a few more people interested in playing the game, it’s worth it.”
Still, he admits the biggest challenge is making the game accessible to anyone who wants to play.
“If hockey is for everyone, we have to make it available for everyone,” he said. “There’s only so many rinks and ice time, but I applaud the Blackhawks and NHL, who are really doing their best to make it available.”
While talking about the history of Wrigley Field, Quigley brought up the great Cubs who have played here, and also mentioned Babe Ruth, whose famous called shot took place here in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series. Quigley also mentioned Chicago Bears legendary running backs Red Grange and Gale Sayers, but when it came to getting his message across, he recalled another all-time sports great who never played at this hallowed ground.
“Arthur Ashe said tennis should not be a country club sport, and I know what he means,” Quigley said. “Every kid growing up should be able to play every sport, have access to it.
"We just need to give everyone the chance to play the greatest game.”
