Minnesota Wild: Winter Classic matchup with St. Louis Blues is a prime-time event

The Minnesota Wild’s first Winter Classic appearance will be prime-time viewing.

The NHL announced on Monday afternoon that the New Year’s Eve game at Target Field will begin at 6 p.m central standard time. The Wild-Blues matchup is the first Classic to be played under the lights, and tickets for the event go on sale Wednesday via Ticketmaster at 10 a.m. CST.

The game will  be televised on TNT, Sportsnet, and TVA Sports.

“Outdoor hockey is really synonymous with Minnesota,”  NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in the media conference for the event that was held on the Target Field diamond. “Yes, this is the State of Hockey .. and pond hockey is more than alive in well in Minnesota. It is played throughout the state and is a really big deal.

“Target Field is magnificent,” Bettman said. “When I think ahead three months to New Year’s Day, I have no doubt that we will transform this magnificent stadium  into something that will not be recognizable for baseball, but certainly will be for hockey.”

It’s only the second outdoor game for the Wild in their history and first since Minnesota rolled to a 6-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2016 Stadium Series at TCF Bank Stadium — now known as Huntington Bank Stadium.

Defenseman and alternate captain Matt Dumba scored the Wild’s opening goal in the first period, a memory he lists among the top in his career.

“That day was one of my favorite NHL experiences, favorite hockey experiences,” Dumba said during the media conference. “To be outside and playing on the outdoor rink was just so nostalgic for me growing up in Calgary. I lived on outdoor rinks. ”

He plans to create more memories on New Year’s Day.

When asked if he had maybe another goal to be found on his stick for the outdoor game, Dumba said, “I’ll find one, maybe two.”

The Classic is the first of three meetings between the Blues and the Wild this season. The other two are scheduled in St. Louis on April 8 and April 16. The Wild and Blues have faced off 85 times during the regular season coming into this year, with St. Louis holding a nine-point advantage in the series. The teams met in the postseason in 2015 and ’17.

“My first playoff experiences were playing the Blues, and it kind of cultivated that hate for that team” Dumba said. “It’s been a great rivalry. We know they are a good team so it definitely challenges us. It’s that Central Division matchup that everyone has grown to love and I think it will be a classic.”

Wild forward and alternate captain Marcus Foligno has not played in an outdoor game yet in his career but grew up on the outdoor rinks in Buffalo, New York.

“I’m a little bit nervous already walking out of the dugouts,” Foligno said. “The passion all started on the outdoor rinks for myself and growing up with my brother and friends. Some of the best games were out there, but now to be playing in a venue like this on the outdoor rink is going to be something so special.