Cam Fowler shines as Blues tie NHL Winter Classic record for goals scored in demolition of Blackhawks

It happened again. The Chicago Blackhawks, playing at Wrigley Field for the second time in an NHL Winter Classic, allowed six goals in an expected – but crumpling – loss to traditional rival St. Louis Blues on Tuesday (31 December 2024) to mirror their first experience of the Winter Classic 16 seasons ago.

The Blues recorded a 6–2 win on the road at Wrigley, normally home to the Chicago Cubs baseball franchise, to mark the third time a team has scored a record six goals in the Winter Classic. In 2009, the Detroit Red Wings beat the Blackhawks 6–4 at Wrigley, while the Blues themselves equalled that scoreline in 2022 in a win against the Minnesota Wild. The four-goal margin also tied for the biggest winning margin in a Winter Classic, matching a 5–1 win for the Montreal Canadiens over the Boston Bruins in 2016.

There were other milestones, too. Blues defenceman Cam Fowler became the first National Hockey League player to play his 1,000th game in an outdoor game, and tallied two goals in the demolition. In doing so, he became the second defenceman in NHL history to score twice in their 1,000th game as well as the first defenceman to score twice in any NHL outdoor game.

St. Louis had a 5–1 lead at the end of the second period, with their other three goals coming from their leading scorer Jordan Kyrou, Justin Faulk, and Dylan Holloway. Midway through the third, in traditional Wrigley Field fashion and led by Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, the crowd joined in a singalong of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", more often heard in the seventh inning stretch during Cubs games.

Corgan ended his rendition with "Let's get some goals!", although the Blackhawks would only score once after, Tyler Bertuzzi adding to Taylor Hall's first-period effort. The Blues' Alexandre Texier wrapped up the big win with under four minutes left on the clock.

The result means in three Winter Classic appearances, the Blues are a perfect 3–0–0; the Blackhawks are winless in five at 0–5–0.

In the standings, the Blues moved up to fifth in the Central Division on 40 points (18–17–4), six points behind the Colorado Avalanche who sit in the last direct playoff spot. It also pushed the team within three points of the second Western Conference wildcard spot, currently held by the Calgary Flames. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks remain the worst team in the NHL on 26 points (12–24–2).