Work is in full swing to get the Wrigley Field Winter Classic ready (again).

The NHL is changing things up this year (because they finally realized college football is practically New Year’s Day) and this year’s Winter Classic between the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues will take place on New Year’s Eve.

So Wrigley Field – which will be the first venue for two Winter Classics after hosting the second edition of the game between the Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings in 2009 – appears more than ready to host hockey.

There’s still a lot of work to be done, but is there anything cooler than watching an iconic stadium get a temporary makeover?

I mean, the octopus tentacles pulling down a ship in midfield at T-Mobile Stadium last season were pretty darn cool, but there’s something about the locations that helps integrate the “classic” into “Winter Classic.” .

It’ll be cool to see what they do around the rink (like the midfield Kraken), because the NHL usually does a good job of sprucing up the parts of the rink that don’t have a 200-by-85-foot hockey rink on it.

What I’m not looking forward to, however, is the duel. Sure, we could still get a good match, but this might be one of the least enticing Winter Classic matches.

Sure, the Blackhawks and Blues have had a good rivalry in the past, and I understand wanting Connor Bedard to play outdoors… but it’s pretty hard to convert people to a mediocre St. Louis Blues and a Blackhawks team excited that in last place in the league is the Christmas holidays.

I mean, outdoor hockey is always good… it’s just that some matchups are better than others.

And honestly, the list of college hockey games featuring the same team at Wrigley Fieldc is better.

But let’s be honest: If you bring hockey outside, I’ll tune in.