The Winter Classic has come a long way since 2009. So has Anders Sorensen’s coaching career.
When the NHL first hosted the event at Wrigley Field, Sorensen attended as a fan. He watched the Red Wings beat the Blackhawks from the last row of the 400 level, up against the ‘‘chicken wire,’’ he quipped.
‘‘It was really cold, and I remember I paid a lot of money for a hot chocolate,’’ Sorensen said.
Nearly 16 years later, he attended Tuesday as the Hawks’ interim coach, standing behind the bench. That is a testament to his remarkable mid-career ascent, although the Hawks’ performance in their 6-2 loss to the Blues didn’t provide the most flattering representation of his coaching.
Other Hawks fans returning for their second hockey game at Wrigley were more amazed by the transformation of the ballpark and the presentation of the event, complete with performances by The Smashing Pumpkins and Chance the Rapper and countless rounds of fireworks. The Winter Classic was a bare-bones event with far less hoopla in its early days.
Dan Grant has gone to four Hawks outdoor games, including the loss in 2009, but he hadn’t been back to Wrigley at all — even for a Cubs game — since moving from Chicago to Denver in 2016.
‘‘This is crazy to see Wrigleyville, how much it has changed,’’ Grant said. ‘‘They used to not have any of the viewing screens and all that. It’s really nice inside, too, how much it’s cleaned up. They did a good job salvaging an old, beaten-down car.’’
Special entrance
The Hawks’ journey to Wrigley for the game was unique: They took the CTA Red Line from Fullerton to Addison, then walked through an alley to Sheffield and the stadium entrance with their skates tied to their sticks over their shoulders.
‘‘The best way to enjoy a summer in Chicago is going to a Cubs game and taking the train,’’ defenseman Connor Murphy said. ‘‘So doing it with a little bit of a different climate is fun in itself, too.’’
The weather wasn’t great — it rained all day and still was drizzling at puck drop, with a temperature of 38 degrees — but it was a lot warmer than the last outdoor game the Blues played in. Their Winter Classic game against the Wild in Minnesota in 2022 was played in minus-6 degrees.
The Hawks entered the stadium wearing ‘‘Team Chicago’’ sweaters with patches for the Chicago Police Department, Chicago Fire Department and Office of Emergency Management and Communication on their sleeves. Murphy, a four-time King Clancy Award nominee for his community work with first responders, also wore a patch on his hat for the 100 Club of Illinois, which provides support for families of fallen first responders.
‘‘It gives a lot of inspiration to us as players,’’ Murphy said. ‘‘Being in the city for long enough and [hearing] the sirens every day, there’s a lot that’s happened over the city the last few years, and to see the sacrifice that they make is really important to me.’’
Notes
The sizable number of Blues fans at Wrigley were most excited by this, but all fans could appreciate the coolness of defenseman Cam Fowler — the first man to play his 1,000th career NHL game in a Winter Classic — scoring the opening goal for the visitors.
• The event was a cross-sport attraction in more ways than just the venue. Cubs players Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch and former Bulls star Derrick Rose sat rinkside Tuesday. Actors Bill Murray and Jon Hamm were also in the crowd.