As the leaves turn from green to brown and the PSL is recycled back into the Starbucks lineup, hockey players know it is time to don their jerseys and shoot some pucks. This year, just like the St. Louis Blues, the Ladue Rams hockey team will be playing in a Winter Classic.  

For the Blues, the Winter Classic will be an outdoor game at Busch Stadium on Jan. 2 against their rivals, the Chicago Blackhawks. This is the first time that the Blues have been included in the event.

“I think the people of St. Louis and the hockey community are finally getting what they deserve,” senior Jordan Stern said. “There’s nothing better than this Blackhawks-Blues rivalry. The environment will be incredible because we have the best fans in the world.”

The unique outdoor experience is a big event sponsored by the Mid States High School Hockey League. Students typically stand all the way around the rink and have a bonfire next to the ice to keep warm.

“We’ve proved to Mid States that we are the real deal and a real contender this year,” junior Zach Levy said. “We’re all fired up for our matchup and will be ready for Clayton.”

Ladue’s Winter Classic is an outdoor game at Shaw Park on Jan. 28 against their rival, the Clayton Greyhounds. This is the first time in four years that Ladue has played in the event.

“It’s really special. No one on our team has had the experience of playing in the Winter Classic,” Stern said. “From what it looks like and what it feels like as a fan, it is just what hockey is all about and is how hockey should be played.”

It is an exhibition game the last competition before the playoffs. This game will be important for gaining momentum heading into the postseason.

“We’re gonna be ready to go and be all fired up and ready to go into the playoffs with a win against Clayton,” Levy said “We’re gonna be all face-painted and just playing with all our friends in an outdoor game.”

The Rams will play against Clayton twice in the regular season, on Dec. 22 and Jan. 5. This upcoming year, the divisions throughout the league went through a complete change; last year, the Rams were one of six teams in the Suburban Central Conference, but this year, they added two more teams, each of which they will play twice this season. Apart from Ladue, the Suburban Central Conference will include Whitfield, John Burroughs, MICDS, Northwest, Priory, Webster Groves, Clayton and St. Mary’s.

The first game of the season will be Nov. 4 against Wentzville Timberland. The Rams’ goal is to win the Wickenheiser Cup for the first time in its history.