It’s going to be cold in Minnesota this weekend for the 2022 NHL Winter Classic. Possibly historically so.
Despite all the game postponements across the league due to COVID-19, the NHL’s marquee annual outdoor event is still scheduled to take place on New Year’s Day in the evening between the Minnesota Wild and the St. Louis Blues at Target Field. Previously, Minnesota hosted a 2016 Stadium Series game at TCF Bank Stadium between the Wild and Chicago Blackhawks, but this will be the first time the city has hosted the Winter Classic in full.
And, as expected of Minnesota winters, it’s going to be frigid cold on Saturday. As of Thursday’s forecast, the high for New Year’s Day will be minus-3 Fahrenheit with a low of minus-9, potentially making the 2022 Winter Classic the coldest outdoor game in NHL history.
It will be so cold at the Winter Classic that the NHL will have to heat the ice. Yes, the ice. That's just part of the extensive preparations for the weather to help fans, workers and players. https://t.co/qF3uYhu9Kb via @NHLdotcom
— Nick Cotsonika (@cotsonika) December 30, 2021
It’s going to be so cold in Minnesota that the league will have to heat the ice to keep the rink in optimal condition. Not only that, the benches and penalty boxes will be heated as well to keep players comfortable. As for the fans, of which a full house of nearly 40,000 are expected to attend, hand warmers will be provided, alongside additional heated areas in Target Field.
The frigid temperatures in Minnesota this weekend could very well eclipse the NHL’s coldest outdoor game on record, the 2003 Heritage Classic between the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens where temperatures dipped to zero degrees Fahrenheit.
Knowing local Minnesotans, however, Saturday’s game will be just another winter evening in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
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