Fighting Irish Today

As many of you likely know, the NHL’s Winter Classic between the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues will take place on December 31, 2024, at the iconic Wrigley Field—marking the second time the ballpark has hosted the outdoor spectacle (the first being in 2009 when the Blackhawks faced the Detroit Red Wings).

But the Winter Classic won’t be the only exciting hockey action at Wrigley this season. On January 3, 2025, Notre Dame Men’s Hockey will square off against Penn State as part of “The Frozen Confines: The Big Ten Hockey Series,” a day filled with outdoor hockey action. In addition to the Notre Dame-Penn State matchup, Ohio State and Michigan will face off, followed by games featuring the Wisconsin women’s team and Wisconsin Men’s Hockey against Michigan State the next day.

In anticipation of the event, Notre Dame has unveiled a unique set of jerseys that will be worn for the Wrigley showdown, drawing clear inspiration from the city of Chicago itself.

A Nod to Chicago

The jerseys feature several cool design elements paying homage to the Windy City. Most notably, the crest incorporates the iconic Chicago Cubs “C” logo, with the Notre Dame Leprechaun subtly embedded within it. The sleeves showcase light blue and white stripes bordered by thin black (or dark navy), along with four gold shamrocks—clearly a nod to the Chicago flag. The white jerseys are accented with blue elements taken directly from the light blue of the Chicago flag, while gold “ND” logos sit atop the shoulders. The TV numbers will be light blue, outlined in black or dark navy.

While the team hasn’t shown the full back of the jersey on social media, the rear numbers will likely follow the same color scheme.

What’s Still to Be Revealed

The team has yet to unveil the full look, including details about helmets, breezers, and socks. Typically, when Notre Dame wears white jerseys, their helmets are gold and pants are blue. Given the Chicago-themed design of these jerseys, it’s likely the team will sport gold helmets, blue pants, and perhaps special socks to match the “Chicago” look of the sweaters.

Overall, the design is a solid tribute to Chicago without being over-the-top. I’m a fan of how the Cubs “C” and Chicago flag elements are incorporated tastefully into the sweater. It’s a clean look that should translate well on the ice at Wrigley. While it’s unfortunate that we haven’t seen the back of the jersey yet, it’s safe to assume the striping will carry over from the front, and the rear numbers will be appropriately large.

The only thing that stands out as a bit puzzling are the small TV numbers in light blue with black or dark blue outlines. These will likely be tough to read from the stands, especially at a venue like Wrigley Field, where fans are seated quite far from the ice. Most outdoor games, especially NHL ones, tend to feature oversized TV numbers for visibility—something I’m sure Notre Dame could have done here as well.

But overall, the jerseys are a fitting tribute to the city of Chicago and should add some extra flair to what promises to be a memorable day of outdoor hockey.