According to a report in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Detroit Red Wings will face the Chicago Blackhawks on New Year's at the historic Wrigley Field.

According to an NHL source, the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings will participate in the league's second outdoor Winter Classic on New Year's Day.

The game will take place at Wrigley Field. An announcement is expected next week before the inaugural "Blackhawks Convention" at the Chicago Hilton.

Last New Year's Day, the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres in a shootout in front of an NHL-record crowd of 71,217 at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

What's my reaction? Well, I'm excited about the opportunity to watch the Wings play in this year's Winter Classic. However, I would have preferred to see the Classic occur on a day other than New Year's for a couple reasons.

1) Michigan football is kind of a big deal around here. While our team won't be as good this year, I still think they'll be playing on New Year's, which is a known football holiday. Many Michigan fans are also Wings fans so which game will they tune into if the game times overlap?

2) The Wings only season tradition is their annual New Year's Eve game, which is a favorite among fans (myself included). Unfortunately, the Wings will be unable to host their traditional game if this report proves to be accurate.

In addition to the date problem, I really really wanted to see the Wings face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium. I attend the University of Michigan and would love to have seen these two huge rivals (admittedly from back in the day) play in the biggest football stadium in the US and shatter the hockey attendance record. If the Wings are playing the Blackhawks at Wrigley, we can kiss that dream goodbye.

But I guess I can't complain too much since this will be an exciting opportunity and I'm going to do everything I can to be there whether I'm working it or just freezing my butt off in the stands.