Maroon cherishing opportunity provided by Winter Classic

CHICAGO -- When asked if he played lot of pond hockey growing up in Oakville, Missouri, Patrick Maroon had a quick answer.

“It’s doesn’t get cold enough,” the Chicago Blackhawks forward said with a laugh. “No, I don’t. We used to go down the street. It would probably freeze over for maybe a day. We’d probably have maybe a day on it, but even (then), you’d still kind of be nervous just in case you fell. No real pond hockey in St Louis. It doesn’t get cold enough, but I wish I had a cool story to tell you.”

A little more than 300 miles north of Oakville, though, it was plenty cold enough for the best kind of pond hockey on Monday, when the Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues took to the ice at Wrigley Field one day prior to the Discover NHL Winter Classic (5 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS).

“Oh, it was great,” Maroon said. “From being from St. Louis, I had never been to Wrigley. It’s kind of shocking to me. The setup is great. Just the history around Wrigley and Wrigleyville and all the greats that played here, and we have an opportunity in Wrigley against a rival team. So, it’s going to be fun.

“Today was awesome. This is a good day for us to soak it all in, know what we’re up against, get an opportunity to skate, get on the ice, have a great practice and have the families come out here and enjoy it with us, too. I think that’s the most important thing. Family always comes first with me, and they get the opportunity to cherish what we get to do tomorrow. ... The seats are going to be full when we’re playing, so to soak that all in is special for us.”

This won't be the first time Maroon has played in a baseball park. The 36-year-old played for the Anaheim Ducks in a 3-0 win against the Los Angeles Kings in the 2014 Stadium Series at Dodger Stadium.

“Dodger Stadium was great,” he said. “Again, it goes back to the L.A. Dodgers and their history, being a part of that. We were the visiting team, so it was fun to be a part of that. Obviously, a very cool experience. We had KISS there and had the opportunity to listen to them sing and meet those guys. We’ve got some crazy stories. They can tell the stories for days, but it was 60 degrees when we were playing, so this will probably be a lot colder.”

What makes this Winter Classic even more special for Maroon is the fact that the Blackhawks are playing the Blues. Aside from being from Oakville, Maroon played for St. Louis in 2018-19, when he helped it win the Stanley Cup for the first time in its history.

Despite that, Maroon has drawn the line in the sand -- or the snow -- when it comes to who his friends and family can root for on New Year's Eve.

“My family is 11,” he said. “They’re all Blackhawks fans. I told my buddies and friends, ‘If you ever want to come to games, you can’t root for the St. Louis Blues or I won’t leave you a ticket.' So, whoever I left the tickets for, you can’t wear anything St. Louis. That’s my rule. So, you’re a Blackhawks fan.”

NHL.com staff writer Tracey Myers contributed to this story.