Target Field to host 2022 NHL Winter Classic, featuring the Minnesota Wild

By | June 28, 2021

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN -- Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins and one of the premier sporting and entertainment venues in the Upper Midwest, will play host to the 2022 NHL Winter Classic® featuring the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues on January 1, 2022, the National Hockey League (NHL®) announced today. Ticket and broadcast information for the event will be released at a later date.

Originally scheduled for January 1, 2021, the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today’s announcement was made by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman from Tampa prior to Game 1 of the 2021 Stanley Cup® Final between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The 2022 NHL Winter Classic® will be the latest jewel event to be held at Target Field, which was named Sports Facility of the Year in 2011 by the Sports Business Journal and was recognized as having the best game day experience in all of sports by ESPN the Magazine in 2010. Since opening in 2010, the venue has hosted Major League Baseball’s Postseason (2010, 2019 and 2020) and All-Star Game (2014), multiple sporting events including Minnesota prep tournaments, an international soccer match (2016) and NCAA football games (2017 and 2019), and several concerts and music festivals.

The New Year’s Day matchup will be the Wild’s first NHL Winter Classic and second NHL regular-season outdoor game, with their previous such matchup coming in the 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series, a 6-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on February 21, 2016.

The 2022 NHL Winter Classic® continues the tradition the NHL established in 2008 of hosting a regular-season outdoor game at the onset of the new year, with the 2022 edition marking the 14-year anniversary of the first NHL Winter Classic® in Buffalo.

For more information about the game, to receive alerts when ticket information becomes available and to enter for a chance to win tickets to the 2022 NHL Winter Classic®, please visit wild.com/winterclassic. As further details are announced regarding the 2022 NHL Winter Classic®, information will also be available at twinsbaseball.com/winterclassic. More information regarding Target Field follows.

TARGET FIELD – HOME OF THE MINNESOTA TWINS

The Minnesota Twins moved into Target Field prior to the 2010 season. The ballpark is a modern architectural expression, a dichotomy of Minnesotans’ cosmopolitan lifestyle so rooted in nature and the outdoors. The stone and glass landmark, topped by a metal-clad, sculpted roof canopy, is chiseled into downtown Minneapolis on one of Major League Baseball’s smallest sites. The ballpark’s urban appeal is enhanced with immediate access to light rail and commuter rail, bridging the site to its urban surroundings and spurring development in the western corner of downtown.

As it enters its second decade, Target Field has proved to be one of the premier sporting and entertainment venues in the Upper Midwest, and one of the most unique, spectacular parks in all of Major League Baseball.

Materials

Native Minnesota limestone forms the mass of the ballpark’s exterior façade. Glass and metal details punctuate the limestone surface, creating a sophisticated composition.

Seating and Capacity

With an approximate capacity of 38,544, Target Field features one of the closest seating bowls to the playing field in all of Major League Baseball. Seats in Target Field feature more leg room and are articulated towards the field of play.

Concourse

The ballpark features a 360-degreee open main concourse giving fans an uninterrupted view of the playing field.

Climate/Shelter

The Twins are committed to providing a comfortable experience for the fans – even when our weather is less than perfect. Fans are able to take advantage of heated concessions, restrooms, and restaurant and lounge areas found on each ballpark level, including the Terrace level. Target Field’s roof canopy – one of the largest in baseball – provides added protection.

Awards

Among its many accolades, Target Field was named Sports Facility of the Year in 2011 by the Sports Business Journal and was recognized as having the best game day experience in all of sports by ESPN the Magazine in 2010.

‘The Greenest Ballpark in America’

The Twins opened Target Field as the second Major League Baseball facility to earn LEED Silver for New Construction (in 2010), then became the first professional sports franchise to receive LEED Silver for both construction and Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (in 2011). In 2017, the Twins became the first to attain LEED Gold for operations and maintenance of their facility; the club earned recertification in 2019.

Non-Baseball Events (Most Notable)

· Minnesota Prep Championship Series (Annually between 2010-19; cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19 and resumed 2021)

· NCAA Baseball (2010, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2019)

· International Soccer Friendly (June 15, 2016 – Minnesota United FC vs. Club Leon)

· NCAA Football

· 16 Concerts and Music Festivals (2012-18), including:

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