The NHL may have saturated the market on outdoor games. With a one-to-two other games played outdoors each year in the NHL Stadium Series — in addition to the trends in broadcast television viewership, the Winter Classic has seen a steady decline over the past ten seasons.

For the first time, the NHL's annual winter classic will be played on New Year's Eve. But the matchup is familar, with the Chicago Blackhawks hosting the St. Louis Blues.

Jordan Binnington made 28 saves for the Blues (18-17-4), who had 12 players with at least a point. They improved to 3-0-0 in Winter Classic games, including 2-0-0 against the Blackhawks, having defeated them 4-1 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis in 2017.

This year's NHL Winter Classic was an absolute dud, recycling two teams (the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues) that have already played in multiple outdoor games in a venue (Wrigley Field) that has already been used.

The New Year’s Eve matchup drew fewer than one million viewers. The post NHL Shouldn’t Panic About Worst-Ever Winter Classic Ratings appeared first on Front Office Sports.

Winter Classic between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks was the 15th edition of the annual outdoor game held by the NHL. While the event is always a joyous occasion for the host city, the game between the Blues and Blackhawks caught the fewest number of eyes in its history.