Want tickets to the Hawks at Wrigley? It'll cost you
It won't be cheap to attend the Winter Classic on New Year's Day at Wrigley Field when the Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings play outdoors.
There will be three price levels, according to information sent by the Hawks to their season-ticket holders Tuesday: $325, $225 and $75.
The $325 tickets will be in the upper deck, which the NHL and Hawks have deemed the best seats with the rink set up to extend from short left field to short right field and over the second-base portion of the infield.
Tickets priced at $225 will include most of the reserve grandstand at Cubs games and certain field boxes down the left-field and right-field lines. The $75 tickets will be in the bleachers and the higher rows of field boxes.
The rows closet to the field, between first and third base, will be limited view tickets. Those will be offered to youth hockey players and their families for purchase through a random drawing by the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois.
Hawks season ticket holders can start buying tickets in any of the three price levels on Monday and will be allowed to purchase the same number of seats they have at the United Center.
The NHL on Monday will announce plans for how the general public can buy the limited number of tickets expected to be available.
The Hawks have nearly 14,000 season ticket holders with Wrigley Field expected to hold approximately 41,000 for the Winter Classic.
Playing in traffic: Hawks coach Joel Quenneville's system on offense relies heavily on getting pucks quickly to the net, particularly from the defensemen. The players are getting that part, but there's still work to be done when it comes to creating more havoc in front.
The Hawks had 36 shots in Monday's 3-2 loss at Minnesota but let Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom see most of them too clearly.
"Our traffic at the net probably wasn't as effective," Quenneville said. "We did have the right idea, but when we go to the net we have to screen him and have better net-front presence. But our thought process of getting shots through is what you have to do."
In five games under Quenneville, the Hawks are averaging 31 shots on goal while allowing 28.
"We had enough shots on net (against Minnesota), but you've got to pay the price around tough areas around the net, get a little dirt under your fingernails and go to work," captain Jonathan Toews said.
Road to nowhere: While the Hawks still haven't lost in regulation at the United Center, going 3-0-2, they are winless on the road at 0-3-1.
"We have to play smarter," Brian Campbell said. "I think that's probably the biggest thing, play a little grittier and obviously cut down on the mistakes."
The Hawks' next road game is Saturday at Columbus after they host Dallas on Friday.