Why is the 2025 NHL Winter Classic on New Year's Eve and not New Year's Day?

The Winter Classic has been a long-standing tradition in hockey, but the 2025 NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field will be the first time the game is set to be played on New Year’s Eve.

In previous years, the NHL Winter Classic was part of New Year’s Day festivities — or on January 2 when the holiday fell on a Sunday — a tradition the NHL has held to since the event’s inception in 2008. So, why the change for this event? Well, you can look to college football’s domination of the holiday for that. According to the Sports Business Journal, the NHL moved the 2025 Winter Classic to New Year’s Eve to avoid the three quarterfinal College Football Playoff games set for New Year’s Day.

Only one quarterfinal game — Penn State versus Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl — will take place on New Year’s Eve, with the Winter Classic set for puck drop nearly three hours prior.

We’ll have to see if the NHL’s transition to the end of the year will have an impact on their viewership numbers. According to the Sports Business Journal, the 2024 NHL Winter Classic between the Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights on January 1 only drew 1.1 million viewers on TNT and TruTV, the lowest number in the event’s history.

For now, however, enjoy the outdoor hockey on a busy day of sports!