Chicago Blackhawks, St Louis Blues to play in 2017 Winter Classic

To the surprise of nobody, the Chicago Blackhawks were given the honor of playing in the Winter Classic for the 2016-17 season.

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The 2016-17 NHL season will have no shortage of outdoor games. The annual Heritage Classic will feature the Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers, the Stadium Series will see the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins square off, while a special one-off called the Centennial Classic will see the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Detroit Red Wings for their 100th anniversary.

But when the Winter Classic was announced, the NHL couldn’t leave out their model franchise the Chicago Blackhawks, who will visit the St. Louis Blues at Busch Stadium.

Getting to play in an outdoor game is supposed to be a special occasion, but for the Blackhawks, it’s become an annual tradition. Their appearance in the upcoming Winter Classic will mark the fourth straight year that they have played an outdoor game, and their fifth altogether.

As you could imagine, fans of every other team around the league were less than thrilled to see that the NHL showed preferential treatment towards the Blackhawks again:

Yes the Blues and Blackhawks have a great rivalry, and their games are typically appointment television, but seeing the same team there every year is starting to turn fans off. While outdoor games usually pull in great ratings because of the spectacle, there could be a fair amount of people boycotting the Winter Classic this year to mark how unimpressed they are by the Blackhawks getting everything.

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Despite Chicago’s lengthy track record of playing in outdoor games, their record in them is a measly 1-4, and they are winless in the Winter Classic. Perhaps this time around, their experience — plus their motivation to avenge their early playoff exit last year — will result in a Blackhawks win.