On Thursday afternoon, representatives from the Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL and the Chicago Park District gathered at Soldier Field to publicize the March 1, 2014, matchup between the Hawks and Penguins at the stadium.
The game, part of the NHL's Stadium Series of games, will mark the first NHL game ever played at the historic venue and marks the second outdoor game the Blackhawks have hosted. The team also played the 2009 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs.
Various dignitaries and players from the two clubs were in attendance at the event, with Hawks' defenseman Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook joining head coach Joel Quenneville, GM Stan Bowman, and owner Rocky Wirtz at the stadium. The Penguins were represented by their GM Ray Shero, and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was also in attendance.
Tickets for the game have not gone on sale yet, but if the Winter Classic was any indication, fans will have to get lucky to purchase seats, as the game sold out within minutes.
Here are some of the sights and sounds from the day at Soldier Field:
In case you needed evidence that Keith and Seabrook were there, Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune has you covered:
#Blackhawks Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook at Soldier Field news conference. pic.twitter.com/a021DTvbNN — Chris Kuc (@ChrisKuc) September 19, 2013
Local
Apparently there was a memo about wearing blue, according to the picture posted by Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago:
NHL holding a news conference for Hawks-Penguins' outdoor game at Soldier Field. pic.twitter.com/xpB6FrKUKg — Scott Powers (@ESPNChiPowers) September 19, 2013
Keith fired a puck through the uprights at the stadium:
Duncan Keith shoots the puck through the Soldier Field uprights! It's up... and it's good! #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/Cm16GoE441 — Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 19, 2013
Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times provided this picture of the rink outline:
They'll probably add ice and stuff by March 1. #Blackhawks #Penguins #NHL #Bears pic.twitter.com/Vvwrf7hQQr — Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) September 19, 2013
