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Ticket information for the 2009 NHL Winter Classic between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field on New Years Day has been sent to season ticket holders. There are three tiers of ticket prices: $75, $225, and $325. The NHL expects to sell around 41,000 tickets. Information for non-season ticket holders will be announced no later than Monday. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said:
This game is going to be sold out. Most of the tickets, not all, will be going to season ticket-holders of the Blackhawks. They are our first priority and the Blackhawks' first priority. We're not going to have the massive public sale like you did when we were playing in a 72,000-seat facility. Some tickets will be made available to the public but if you want to be assured, you have to get season tickets...I think it was an absolute highlight last year [in Buffalo] and we're expecting it to be terrific again being in an iconic venue like Wrigley Field. It has the history and tradition.Both teams will also be wearing special throwback jerseys for the event.
Image of Winter Classic seating chart from season ticket holder email via Bleed Cubbie Blue
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I still don't understand why they're doing this at Wrigley instead of Soldier Field.
That pricing structure seems wrong. $75 for lower-level seats and $325 for upper-deck? I understand the view may be better, but something doesn't seem right.
Yeah, they said on the news this morning that sitting close to ground level will provide a really crappy view of the action. They also said that the would be giving some of those seats away free to area youth hockey teams, so that should tell you how crappy the view is from the box seats.
Oh, and looking at the configuration, yeah, I second that vote for Soldier Field. Wrigley's alleged "mystique" only works for baseball... well some of the time.
Yeah, I had to do a double take when I saw those prices too. It still doesn't make sense to me. At those prices they better not stop selling beer in the 7th inning...
I'm a Cubs fan, I love Wrigley, but based on what I'm seeing a baseball stadium is all wrong for this. I'm surprised, based on how much control the NHL has over this event, that they're even having it at Wrigley. I can't imagine paying $225 to sit in the upper reaches of Wrigley in the dead of winter.
also, i never realized how small a hockey rink was, at least in comparison to a baseball field. seeing that just makes me think this is even more of a bad idea. does McDonough have illicit photos of gary bettman or something, how did he get pushed into agreeing to hold this game at Wrigley?
When the Bears played at U of I, they gave ground level end zone seats to special groups, and a lot of those special groups had wheels on the bottoms of their chairs. There was no barrier between them and some super-egoed player in a fit of his own greatness. One over thrown pass or over-attended revival meeting after a touchdown would toast those people.
I agree that the game should be at Soldier Field. Makes sense all the way around.
That is absolutely the wrong place for the rink. The rink is WAYYYYYY too far from the stands.
They should have snugged the rink up against the wall in the home plate corner.
They could have then built temporary stands on two sides of the rink that face the field.
With the current arrangement, fans will not be able to follow the action well.
What a stupid mistake.
With a possible wild card game Jan. 3 or 4 at Soldier Field for the Bears, there would have been a huge problem in reverting the field back to football playing shape in two days, and everything I've heard said the Park District put Soldier Field offlimits for the game.
Also, last year the NHL crews had to work through Christmas in order to get the rink ready in time due to the tight schedule, which is something they were trying to avoid this time around.
Make no mistake, this game is not for the fans attending as much as for the images you'll see on TV. Wrigley's makeup is ill suited due to its flat seating arrangement. Comiskey would have been a better option since there are more seats at a higher level (possibly too high up) and more luxury suites to sell, but it wouldn't provide the vantage of the old scoreboard and brick walls.
Last year's Winter Classic was held at Ralph Wilson Stadium or whatever the place is called where the Buffalo-Soon-To-Be-The-Toronto Bills play. Which makes perfect sense.
The only thing I can think of for the Wrigley set up over Soldier Field is that the Bears play there the Sunday before and have a decent chance of playing a playoff game at home the following Saturday or Sunday, just a few days after the match. So maybe they're worried about damage to Soldier Field?
Otherwise, I gotta agree with everyone else. Lord those bleacher seats are going to suuuuuuuuuuuck. will you even be able to see the ice from there? And I mean that seriously. I can't imagine the ice even being visible from there.
@pins - +1 for beating me to it.
Also consider:
Regarding the Bears at Wrigely, they played with the football field snugged up against the third base wall. That was the long side of the field on west.
Then, temporary stand were put up each year along the east sidelines. Thus, deep right field was BEHIND these temporary stands.
Temporary stands worked just fine.