The NHL just concluded its annual <a href='https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/winter-classic/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Winter Classic</a>, but there were a lot of angry fans who blasted the league online after their choice of musical performers. The NHL was criticized for having the 2025 Winter Classic on the same day as 12 other games, <a href='https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/43239033/chicago-blackhawks-st-louis-blues-2025-winter-classic-sights-sounds' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>but the event itself was a huge success</a>. The St. Louis Blues' battle with the Chicago Blackhawks was witnessed by almost 41,000 fans in a much-anticipated matchup. The game itself was a disappointing one for the hometown Blackhawks, though, as they lost in a crushing 6-2 decision. The Blues scored three unanswered goals in the second period to seal the deal. Most reviews of the game were overwhelmingly positive, despite the lopsided score. On the other side, the decision to have <a href='https://smashingpumpkins.com/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>The Smashing Pumpkins</a> perform musically received social media backlash. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/EloyGarcia84/status/1874215920907764217'> </a></blockquote></div> Already during the event itself, many in attendance took to voicing their grievances toward the band's performance, in this case, specifically that sound quality was allegedly terrible and only worsened as fans were sitting farther back. Those fans closer to the action probably would have fared better, but from up high, the general feeling seemed to be that this specific performance brought down the show as a whole. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/WhiteSoxSuz/status/1874224793500963146'> </a></blockquote></div> <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/FireLanceGuidry/status/1874218532503990508'> </a></blockquote></div> <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/bullystyle312/status/1874235491580850324'> </a></blockquote></div> With iconic status and Billy Corgan's celebrity within the music scene, it would seem The Smashing Pumpkins were a good choice initially for the event, but poor sound quality ruined it. The NHL has its work cut out in finding entertainment that better relates and connects with the audience. Going forward, the league should look to make the Winter Classic one of its flagship events. Adding in more universally appealing and better-suited musical acts would further enhance the experience and ensure the Classic becomes an even bigger spectacle in future seasons.