Blackhawks-Red Wings at Wrigley

New Year's Day outdoors? That's how Chicagoist usually spends it—but on a Mexican beach. At least until the Rose Bowl kicks off. We're not quite so sure we'd want to spend it outside in Wrigley Field, which could be a little cold. On the other hand, watching two of the "Original Six" NHL teams face off in the open air does sound pretty damn cool.

Standing inside temporary baseboards approximating where the rink will sit, representatives of the NHL, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Blackhawks, and Detroit Red Wings held a press conference at Wrigley Field on Tuesday to officially announce the NHL Winter Classic 2009. On January 1, the Blackhawks will host the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field. The defending Stanley Cup champs and the resurgent 'Hawks will face off at noon in front of close to 50,000 fans braving the cold and hangovers. For the players, they can expect a rough playing surface, especially if it snows or if octopi stick to the ice.

In spite of those hardships, we fully expect tickets to this event to be among the hardest to come across in a long, long time. Perhaps only rivaled by seats at Wrigley if it happens to host some baseball in the waning days of October.