2009 Winter classic.

Yesterday, the National Hockey League has unveiled the 2008-2009 regular season calendar along with some informations on the next winter classic.

The next edition of the winter classic will be held on January 1st 2009 in Chicago. The Chicago Blackhawks will host the Stanley Cup champions Detroit Red Wings for this special outdoor game. The game will be presented at the Wrigley field, home of the Chicago Cubs.

It will be an opportunity and a great event for the Chicago Blackhawks. The team lacked visibility in the last few years and the winter classic will put some spotlight on this ''original six'' franchise. With young talents like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in their roster, the Blackhawks are competitive again after being relegated to the bottom of the standings for too long.

The Detroit Red Wings is a great choice of opponent for the Blackhawks. The Wings are also an ''original six'' team and with the immense talent pool of the Red Wings roster (Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Hossa and Lidstrom only to name those four) will insure a great spectacle for the fans that will be attending the game at Wrigley field.

Last January for the winter classic, the Pittsburgh Penguins played the Buffalo Sabres at the Ralph Wilson stadium in Buffalo.