Two former Minnesota Twins stars helped the Minnesota Wild and the NHL announce the Wild's opponent for the 2021 Winter Classic that will be held at Target Field on January 1st 2021.

Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau teamed up for a short game of catch at Target Field to announce who the Wild would be battling with during the 2021 Winter Classic, and with the St. Louis Blues in town Sunday night to take on the Wild at Xcel Energy Center on National TV, it was almost a give away who the Wild would be taking on.

Yep, the St. Louis Blues.

The Blues are coming off a Stanley Cup, hosting the All-Star Game and even held their own Winter Classic back in 2017, so NBC and the NHL know that the market loves to be apart of big events/atmospheres and they know that the Blues will draw a big audience on TV. Those two factors, along with being in the Central Division with the Wild, propelled them right to the top of the list of possible opponents for Minnesota.

Was it the right pick? In terms of generating revenue and drawing a big audience to make a bunch of big bucks for NBC and the NHL, most likely. It was a boring pick that most people knew was coming our way. It was an easy choice for the Blues being in relative geographical proximity to Minnesota, and coming off a Stanely Cup doesn't hurt.

Yet, I wanted to see something different for the Winter Classic. Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets, and Colombus Blue Jackets were three teams that I really wanted to see the Wild play against. Vegas, mostly because I think their team is awesome and fun to watch and would draw a big crowd. Two, the Jets for the proximity and they always have really entertaining games to watch against the Wild. Third, the Blue Jackets entered the NHL the same year as the Wild and it would be very cool to see both teams celebrate their 20th season together at the Winter Classic.

Either way, the Blues are definitely a safe pick and one that the country and the executives at the NHL and NBC will be satisfied with. Also, I know the Wild will do a great job in terms of making the Winter Classic a weekend affair and should be fun for all Minnesota hockey fans to make the trip and check out what they have to offer.

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