Who is playing in the 2025 NHL Winter Classic?

Last season, the Vegas Golden Knights took on the Seattle Kraken in the 2024 NHL Winter Classic. The game took place at T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners, and featured Sir Mix-A-Lot and fish being tossed. It was an honest tribute to the Emerald City's culture in hockey form, where the Kraken won, 3-0. Yes, they actually scored more goals than the Mariners typically score runs.

As for Vegas, they were mired in a bad stretch where they had nothing but AHL players. The team was dealing with many injuries, including goaltender Adin Hill and Shea Theodore. As a result, Joey Daccord got a shutout for Seattle, stopping all 35 shots. It wasn't a good time to be a Golden Knights fan, even with the luster of being the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Luckily, that memory is in the rearview mirror, for two new teams are playing next season. The game will take place at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. This should make the question much easier to answer. Still, who are these two mystery teams participating in next season's Winter Classic?

The St. Louis Blues take on the Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field

In a battle between two heated rivals, the St. Louis Blues will take on the Chicago Blackhawks. It'll mark the first time budding superstar Connor Bedard will play in the spectacle. Fans will tune in to see the former No. 1 pick skate in the elements with his Chicago teammates.

It also marks the second time Wrigley Field has hosted the event. In 2009, the Detroit Red Wings, another rival, defeated the Blackhawks, 6-4. This was a game that saw Jiri Hudler score two goals and an assist, leading Detroit to victory. Pavel Datsyuk also scored in that game, adding to his prestige as a Hall of Fame player.

This will be the fifth time the Chicago Blackhawks participate in this event. Chicago is 0-4 all-time (2009, 2015, 2017, 2019) in the event. As for St. Louis, this will be the third time they're partaking in the spectacle. They have a record of 2-0, defeating the Chicago Blackhawks (2017) and Minnesota Wild (2022) in previous iterations.

The Vegas Golden Knights aren't participating in next season's Winter Classic. However, there should be such an event going on in the future. Vegas has developed a solid reputation in the NHL community and such an event would draw extremely well. Will it happen in the future? Stay tuned.