CHICAGO (AP) — Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks took the train to work Tuesday.

With their sticks and skates and in custom-made “Team Chicago” gear, the Blackhawks rode one of the city’s famous elevated trains to Wrigley Field for their match against the St. Louis Blues in the Winter Classic.

“A lot of guys haven’t been here long, don’t have to take the train, take CTA, so it was fun to do that and kind of experience what it’s like to come to a Cubs game,” defenseman Connor said Murphy said.

“It’s one of the best ways to spend a summer day… here at a game. So it’s also fun to do it in a slightly different climate.”

The Blues wore gray sweatshirts and hats for their bus ride to the home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. The hats had 99 on the front and the T-shirts had a round emblem with 99 and GRETZKY’S BASEMENT – a nod to the hockey school associated with Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky.

“We just thought it would be a great opportunity to honor Wayne and everything he did for the game,” Blues defenseman Justin Faulk said. “He’s obviously an integral part in St. Louis as well. “He’s done a lot for the community there and still does, and he’s great for everyone in the organization and for the guys, and we thought there’s no one better Way to show our appreciation than doing this for him today.”

St. Louis and Chicago meet in the 16th edition of the outdoor event. This is the second game for Wrigley since the stadium also hosted the Winter Classic in 2009.

It is also the first return match in the game’s history. The Blues defeated the Blackhawks 4-1 in the 2017 Winter Classic at Busch Stadium.

“I think there’s been a great rivalry between the Blackhawk and Blues since the Blues came into the league,” St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery said. “It’s one of the top rivalries in the league.”

The Blackhawks used their pregame gear to highlight the connection between the franchise and the city. The clothing featured patches paying tribute to Chicago’s first responders, and each player chose a charity or community organization for their hat.

“It’s a great thing to bring our community together, right?” said Captain Nick Foligno. “And one of the big things we talked about was also our first responders and what they mean to our community and what they do for us. And we wanted to kind of highlight that and also highlight what means a lot to us.”

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