NHL on TNT to Host 2025 Discover NHL Winter Classic “Barnburner” Fan Experience in Chicago on Tuesday, Dec. 31

TNT Sports today announced details for Barnburner, a hockey-focused fan experience for ticket holders that will be hosted on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at Gallagher Way, located outside Wrigley Field, in celebration of the 2025 Discover NHL Winter Classic.   

Open that day from Noon to 7:30 p.m. CT, Barnburner will feature a headlining musical performance by Multi-Platinum Singer and Songwriter Jon Pardi on The SAP Stage. NHL on TNT Face Off Presented by Verizon – featuring Wayne Gretzky, Paul Bissonnette, Anson Carter, and Liam McHugh – will also host its pregame coverage live on-site at Barnburner starting at 3 p.m. CT/ 4 p.m. ET and will return with postgame coverage, from the venue. Pardi’s musical performance will kick off NHL on TNT’s pregame coverage.    

Along with a variety of hockey-centric activities and programming celebrating the outdoor matchup between the hometown Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues, fans can look forward to activations including: 

Cocoa Cup Bar & Photo Op 

• Warm up from the chilly Chicago temperatures by grabbing a cup of hot cocoa.  Fans can shoot a photo with the NHL on TNT Cocoa Cup, a trophy for the MVP of the Winter Classic game, selected by the TNT crew.  

Dish Dash  

• Two fans will go head-to-head to see who can shoot the most pizza slices into a pizza box in 30 seconds. Winners will receive a fun Barnburner prize. 

SAP Slapshot Stats 

• Fans will have three chances to show off their fastest slap shot. The highest speeds will make it on to our leaderboard and receive bragging rights. SAP is a proud technology partner of the NHL. More information can be found here.  

Discover Puck Drop Photo Op 

• Fans can witness the excitement leading up to the game and have their photo taken next to Discover’s nearly 20-foot tall "Puck Drop" photo op which is counting down the minutes until the start of the 2025 Discover NHL Winter Classic. 

TNT Sports’ exclusive live game coverage of the 2025 Discover NHL Winter Classic on New Year’s Eve will start at 4 p.m. CT/ 5 p.m. ET on TNT, truTV & Max – the first time the annual tentpole event will be held on December 31. The Chicago Blackhawks, led by 2023 first overall draft pick and 2024 Calder Memorial Trophy winner Connor Bedard makes his outdoor rink debut at iconic Wrigley Field against Central Division rivals Jordan Kyrou, goaltender Jordan Binnington and the St. Louis Blues. Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk and Brian Boucher will call the game action, with Darren Pang and Jackie Redmond contributing throughout the TNT’s coverage. 

All NHL on TNT’s exclusive regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs games, as well as pre and postgame coverage, will be available to stream on Max’s B/R Sports Add-On. Games will also be available via the TNT app on mobile, tablet and connected TV devices and at TNTDrama.com.  

For more information, please visit https://nhlontntbarnburner.com. 

About Jon Pardi 

Since first hitting the country landscape, singer/songwriter/producer Jon Pardi has long separated himself from the pack, carving a lane that was all his own by producing, writing, and singing songs he created from the melodies up, and earning praise for it. “Jon Pardi cut a path through modern country’s embrace of pop, hip-hop and EDM” (New York Times) with “an emboldened work… a distilling of his sound into a more potent form that draws both vitality and assurance from his anything-but-sterile relationship to his tradition's modern era” (NPR). Pardi is “a leader among a growing number of artists bringing back fiddle, steel and twang” (People) and “even when he’s singing sad songs, he wants people to have a good time” (Associated Press). Pardi’s critically acclaimed most recent album MR. SATURDAY NIGHT proved he has “blazed his own trail over the past decade” (Billboard) and followed his critically acclaimed 2019 album - HEARTACHE MEDICATION - a CMA and ACM Album of the Year nominated project that was also named as one of Rolling Stone’s “Best Album of the Year” and Los Angeles Times' (Top 10) “Best Albums of the Year” upon release. His breakthrough Platinum-selling album, CALIFORNIA SUNRISE, which featured the multi-Platinum, chart-topping hits “Dirt On My Boots,” “Head Over Boots,” “Heartache On The Dance Floor” and “Night Shift.” Pardi has earned several No. Ones on country radio and is noted for his “long-lasting mark on the genre” (Music Row) and his impressive ability to carve out his own path creating “the kind of country music multiple generations came to know, and love can still work on a mass scale” (Variety). Filled with fiddle, twang and steel guitar, Pardi continues to “apply new ideas to country’s old sounds” (Los Angeles Times) and “bring authenticity back into Country music” (People). Pardi’s brand new “Friday Night Heartbreaker” is the lead single from his upcoming fifth studio album, anticipated for release in 2025. For more information and for a full list of upcoming tour dates, visit JonPardi.com. 

Media Contact: Tyger Danger, TNT Sports, 954-646-3312,  Tyger.Danger@wbd.com