For the Hawks' current NHL players, there's no help coming as the calendar flips to 2025. They'll have to somehow get through their remaining 44 games as competitively and proudly as possible.

St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery walked around before Tuesday night's Winter Classic. He looked at the growing crowd soaking in the festive atmosphere. He thought about all the famous ballplayers who played at Wrigley Field.

The Chicago Blackhawks would likely prefer to play indoors, thank you very much. The storied franchise is winless in all five of the NHL’s showcase Winter Classic events they have played in. On the other hand,