MINNEAPOLIS — The 2022 Winter Classic lined up to be a celebration of Minnesota and the sport the state loves so much. The "State of Hockey" was finally hosting the most prestigious of all of the outdoor hockey games. The rink at Target Field was designed to look like one of the frozen ponds and lakes the residents of Minnesota grow up skating on and the experience was authentic right down to the temperature: -8 at puck drop, the coldest temperature ever recorded at a Winter Classic.
"I was looking over my shoulder for a polar bear," said Minnesota Wild winger Marcus Foligno.