The Chicago Blackhawks, like the rest of their city’s sports franchises, aren’t giving local fans much to cheer about this year. The Blackhawks haven’t had a winning season since 2019-20 and they’re 16-31-6 before their matchup on Friday night against the Nashville Predators.

Connor Bedard reacted to the criticism he is receiving for the Chicago Blackhawks' poor performance in the 2024-25 NHL season and sent a strong message to various analysts, including legend Mark Messier.

But when a team isn’t playing so great, those additional eyeballs and the big-picture focus that comes with national games and commentators can have a more negative effect. This year’s Winter Classic was a great example.