It appears that NHL Winter Classic will be back and making a visit to the Windy City.
Comcast Sportsnet is reporting that the Chicago Blackhawks will take on the Detroit Red Wings next January in what has become the league's annual outdoor game.
However, sources tell TSN that while Chicago is most likely, if not certain, to be the site for the next Outdoor game, the venue and opposition details have not yet been finalized. Detroit is the likely opponent because it would make so much sense from a television perspective, but the NHL's deal to pull all this together is not close to finalized at this time.
Following the success of this season's Winter Classic in Buffalo, where a record 71,217 fans watched the Sabres take on the Pittsburgh Penguins at Ralph Wilson Stadium, a number of cities have been pushing for the right to hold the event.
There was talk that the New York Rangers were looking into the possibility of hosting a game at Yankee Stadium. With the baseball team moving into a new stadium next season, it would have been the final event held in the old ballpark.
It is not yet clear whether the game would be held at Wrigley Field, home of MLB's Cubs, or Soldier Field, home of the NFL Bears.