Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1, being tackled by Ravens linebacker Tyus Bowser) completed 4-of-11 passes for 79 yards and was sacked twice against the Ravens before leaving with an injury to his ribs early in the third quarter. | Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

It defies logic that Fields would play against the winless Lions four days after leaving Sunday’s game with a rib injury. But Matt Nagy wasn’t ready to commit to logical choice Andy Dalton yet.

By logic and common sense, veteran Andy Dalton should start at quarterback for the Bears against the Lions on Thursday at Ford Field, with rookie Justin Fields nursing injured ribs on a short week.

But coach Matt Nagy wasn’t ready to go there Monday.

For the record, Nagy still holds out hope that Fields can start against the Lions after his injured ribs forced him out of the Bears’ 16-13 loss to the Ravens on Sunday at Soldier Field early in the third quarter.

“We’re still gathering the facts with everything,” Nagy said of Fields’ injury. “We’re still getting him looked at [Monday] morning, so we’ll see where that goes. Obviously we’ve got to be prepared for whether he’s able to go or not able to go.”

That, actually, is a matter of opinion. What’s obvious to many is that Fields should not be playing in an NFL game four days after leaving the previous one with an injury to his ribs. Even Nagy acknowledged that a rib injury can make breathing and sleeping problematic, let alone functioning as a quarterback at live-game speed.

But even if Fields can tough it out and overcome those issues, subjecting him to the physical punishment of an NFL game days after he suffered the initial injury seems unwise, if not irresponsible. This is the future of the franchise. The Bears are 3-7. They’re playing the 0-9-1 Lions.

Nagy has to know this in his heart of hearts. But he is prone to fits of gamesmanship, and the chance to leave the Lions in the dark about the opposing quarterback — especially on a short week — is probably too good for him to pass up. Nagy wouldn’t even confirm that Fields does not have broken ribs (“I can’t rule out anything,”) even though any reputable NFL organization would know by Monday.

So why not just play Dalton against the Lions and give Fields two weeks to get healthy? Even Nagy seemed to talk himself in that direction when he answered that question.

“I think where he’s at and the way he’s been growing and just for him to get these reps,” Nagy said. “At the same time, there is a safety issue, too, with making sure he doesn’t get to a point where things get worse. So we’ve got to monitor that.

“Regardless of everything, we always want to make sure that we’re not putting our players at more risk regardless of who you are. Obviously, there’s more magnitude to everybody else — and to us — with Justin. And being the quarterback and touching the football every play and throwing and that sort of thing. So we’ll have to keep that in mind.”

Indeed, they will.

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This image released by NBC shows Peter Aykroyd during a sketch on “Saturday Night Live” in New York on Feb. 9, 1980. | AP

His brother, actor Dan Aykroyd, cited the medical examiner in Spokane, Washington, and said that his brother “succumbed to septicemia from an internal infection precipitated by an untreated abdominal hernia.”

NEW YORK — Peter Aykroyd, an Emmy-nominated actor and writer on “Saturday Night Live” for the 1979-80 season who later worked with older brother, Dan, on everything from a TV show about the paranormal to such films as “Dragnet” and “Coneheads,” has died at age 66.

In a brief statement Monday to The Associated Press, Dan Aykroyd cited the medical examiner in Spokane, Washington, and said that his brother “succumbed to septicemia from an internal infection precipitated by an untreated abdominal hernia.” Further details were not immediately available.

Peter Aykroyd’s death was first reported last weekend on “Saturday Night Live,” which also tweeted a short film by Tom Schiller he starred in for the show, the noir parody “Java Junkie.” Former “Saturday Night Live’ writer Alan Zweibel posted a tribute on Facebook, calling Aykroyd “a very funny, really nice guy.”

He was born in Ottawa, Canada, and his career followed a similar path to his brother’s — the Second City comedy troupe in Toronto and eventually “Saturday Night Live,” which he joined months after Dan Aykroyd and fellow original member John Belushi left to focus on their movie careers. Peter Aykroyd’s year on “SNL” brought him an Emmy nomination for best writing in a variety or music program.

Much of the remaining cast and writing crew left the NBC show after the 1979-80 season and Peter Aykroyd would work off and on with his brother over the next 20 years. He appeared in “The Coneheads,” “Dragnet and “Dr. Detroit” and co-wrote with Dan the 1991 horror comedy “Nothing But Trouble.” The Aykroyds had a shared interest in science fiction and the paranormal and Peter helped create the Canadian TV production “Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal,” which was hosted by Dan and ran from 1996-2000.

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The Blackhawks have won five of their last six games, but need to keep winning for months to have a chance. | AP Photos

The Hawks’ recent upswing has lifted them out of the NHL’s basement, but they’d need to consistently play like a top-10 team for months to climb into the playoffs.

CALGARY, Alberta — The Blackhawks are only 18 games into their 82-game schedule.

Considering all that has happened already — the sexual assault scandal and coaching change and franchise-worst start and recent upswing — seeing those numbers written down almost boggles the mind. But indeed, the Hawks are less than a quarter of the way through the 2021-22 season.

The remainder of it, however, should be more limited to typical on-ice highs and lows. The overwhelming off-ice tumult that has headlined the Hawks’ fall, literally and figuratively, has hopefully eased for the time being.

And that raises a crucial question, the answer to which will determine just how monotonous the 64 remaining games prove to be: Can the Hawks still make the playoffs?

Of course, the mathematical solution is yes, easily. The Predators entered Monday holding the Western Conference’s final wild-card spot with 19 points; the Hawks entered Monday, an off-day before Tuesday’s matchup against the Flames, with 14 points. Looking at it that way, the five-point deficit seems extremely surmountable.

But history shows it won’t be an easy task. Over the last six full seasons, 37 teams have entered Nov. 22 of a given year five or more points out of a playoff spot. Only four eventually made the playoffs.

Besides, the standings are largely irrelevant this early on. With so many months to go, pacing matters more.

The final playoff cutoff line in the West has been, on average, 93 points over those past six full seasons. Although the West’s current projected cutoff this season is 96.5 points — set by the Blues, the eighth-place team based on points percentage — that’ll likely regress over time.

For the Hawks to reach 93 points, they’d need to earn 79 points in their remaining 64 games. That’d require a record of roughly 36-21-7 — give or take a few wins and overtime losses — the rest of the way.

That’s certainly doable, but it’d require the Hawks to play like a well-above-average team. Last season, 12 teams finished their 56-game season at or above that pace. In 2019-20, when the league had more parity, only nine teams hit 79 points through their first 64 games (and only five exceeded 81 points). Some very talented rosters, including the Golden Knights, did not.

So can the Hawks play like a top-10 team consistently from now through April? They wouldn’t need to exactly keep up their 5-1-0 record under interim coach Derek King, but they’d need to keep winning more than losing for a very long time.

They’d also need to actually improve quite a bit. Strong goaltending has predominantly fueled their recent success, and should remain a strength all season, but the Hawks are doomed if their 44.9% even-strength scoring chance ratio — fourth-worst in the NHL — continues. Even in six games under King, their ratio is 46.8%, barely an improvement.

At least there’s belief in the Hawks’ dressing room now, though. That’s prerequisite ingredient No. 1 for this theoretical season-long rally.

“You can break it down to each zone and how we’re playing with all our systems and all that,” King said Sunday. “But these guys are just feeling good about themselves. They’re getting their confidence back. They’re not as fragile as when I got here. It’s nice, but it’s still a journey. We’re just going to keep picking away, day by day.”

The Hawks’ stingy third period — after two horrendous periods — in Sunday’s 1-0 win excellently demonstrated that resilience.

“They’re gradually getting out of that sense of, when things go wrong, it’s depressing,” King said. “Now it’s, ‘Things go wrong. We’re OK. Hold the fort and we’ll get out of it.’ That’s that confidence coming back.”

If the Hawks can somehow maintain that confidence — in spite of hockey’s inevitable volatility — for 64 games, it might give them an outside shot. But that won’t be easy.

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Matt Nagy is 31-27 as head coach and 0-2 in the playoffs. | AP Photos

It’s time for the Bears to move on–not because a coaching change will spark them to a winning streak. It doesn’t matter for the playoffs. It matters for dignity and standards.

There’s no more wait-and-see with Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace. The Bears have already wasted enough time waiting, and there’s been nothing to see.

They are overdue to fire their general manager and head coach, and their failure to act decisively on something that was obviously necessary at least a year ago has produced another empty season of neither succeeding in the present nor building toward something compelling. Time keeps slipping away from the Bears, as it has for three decades.

Bears chairman George McCaskey needs to fire Nagy and Pace immediately after the game against the Lions on Thursday, irrespective of how the Bears do in a meaningless matchup against an 0-9-1 opponent.

The only reason to wait that long rather than do it now, after an embarrassing 16-13 loss to the Ravens rife with evidence of their missteps, is because it would cause a challenging disruption for the players on a short week. But Thursday night is the time to clean house with a 3-7 team that somehow keeps finding a new rock bottom.

The case against Pace has been so clear-cut for so long that there’s no need to spend much time laying it out. The thumbnail sketch is that the Bears have the eighth-worst record over his seven seasons at 45-61, he set the franchise back years with his misevaluation of Mitch Trubisky and mismanaged the roster repeatedly.

He also hired Nagy. It’d be a Houdini-level escape if Pace can talk McCaskey into firing Nagy but not him.

Back to Nagy. He talked for just 12 minutes Monday on a morning when there were hours of questions that demanded answers. Maybe he was being merciful by keeping it short, because as maddening as the on-field slop has been, his explanations exacerbate everything.

His convoluted excuse for sending out the kicking team with a late 13-9 lead Sunday when it was obvious he needed to go for two, which he did after burning a timeout when he realized the error, just inflames an already raging fire.

It was reminiscent of when he clearly didn’t think to spot Eddy Pineiro’s game-winning field goal against the Chargers in 2019 on the right hashmark — his preference — and deflected that criticism by saying Pineiro should’ve made the kick anyway.

Or the numerous times when he unwisely kept throwing at the end of games despite having a lead, which cost him dearly when the Lions won at Soldier Field last season.

Almost any other franchise would’ve fired him after that game.

There was a moment Monday that offered a peek into how Nagy views this ongoing disaster. Near the end of a rambling non-answer about how he planned to steer the Bears out of their five-game losing streak, he pointed out that they were so close to getting out of this rut if not for their late collapses against the Steelers and Ravens.

Then, Nagy said, they’d be 5-5 and, “that’s a big difference right now,” given the state of the NFC playoff race. That’s true, but also irrelevant. Whichever team sneaks into the final playoff spot will still be mediocre, just like the Bears were as an 8-8 playoff team last season.

Only at Halas Hall would someone dare to hold up a 5-5 record as though it’d be an accomplishment. But it’s hard to blame Nagy for thinking that when 16-16 over the last two seasons, including 3-11 against playoff teams, was good enough to keep him employed.

He is 31-27 in four seasons, boosted by going 12-4 in his debut. Even then, in the best of times, his offense wasn’t good.

Defensive scores and takeaways that set up a short field boosted the Bears’ scoring average from 22.4 to 26.3. They won three games in which they scored 16 or fewer points. Everyone remembers The Double Doink as the season-ender, but don’t forget that the Bears scored just 15 points that night.

Nagy got this job by convincing the Bears he was an offensive mastermind and professor of quarterbacking. The team has scored the ninth-fewest points in the NFL, gained the third-worst yards per play and posted the eighth-lowest collective passer rating. He couldn’t fix Trubisky, collaborated on a huge mistake with Nick Foles and sure doesn’t seem compatible with Justin Fields.

When asked how he’d defend his work this season, when the Bears are barely ahead of the Lions at 16.3 points per game, Nagy couldn’t.

“The only thing that we can do, is keep playing and keep coaching and keep doing everything we can to win,” he said. “That’s it.”

That’s not a defense. It’s what you say when you know there is no defense.

The Bears have an unwritten principle of not firing a coach during the season, and the reason to break from that is not the wild hope that a coaching change will spark the team to a winning streak.

It doesn’t matter for the playoffs. It matters for dignity and standards. You can’t accept this level of incompetence and expect to be taken seriously.

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Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1, being tackled by Ravens linebacker Tyus Bowser) completed 4-of-11 passes for 79 yards and was sacked twice against the Ravens before leaving with an injury to his ribs early in the third quarter. | Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

It defies logic that Fields would play against the winless Lions four days after leaving Sunday’s game with a rib injury. But Matt Nagy wasn’t ready to commit to logical choice Andy Dalton yet.

By logic and common sense, veteran Andy Dalton should start at quarterback for the Bears against the Lions on Thursday at Ford Field, with rookie Justin Fields nursing injured ribs on a short week.

But coach Matt Nagy wasn’t ready to go there Monday.

For the record, Nagy still holds out hope that Fields can start against the Lions after his injured ribs forced him out of the Bears’ 16-13 loss to the Ravens on Sunday at Soldier Field early in the third quarter.

“We’re still gathering the facts with everything,” Nagy said of Fields’ injury. “We’re still getting him looked at [Monday] morning, so we’ll see where that goes. Obviously we’ve got to be prepared for whether he’s able to go or not able to go.”

That, actually, is a matter of opinion. What’s obvious to many is that Fields should not be playing in an NFL game four days after leaving the previous one with an injury to his ribs. Even Nagy acknowledged that a rib injury can make breathing and sleeping problematic, let alone functioning as a quarterback at live-game speed.

But even if Fields can tough it out and overcome those issues, subjecting him to the physical punishment of an NFL game days after he suffered the initial injury seems unwise, if not irresponsible. This is the future of the franchise. The Bears are 3-7. They’re playing the 0-9-1 Lions.

Nagy has to know this in his heart of hearts. But he is prone to fits of gamesmanship, and the chance to leave the Lions in the dark about the opposing quarterback — especially on a short week — is probably too good for him to pass up. Nagy wouldn’t even confirm that Fields does not have broken ribs (“I can’t rule out anything,”) even though any reputable NFL organization would know by Monday.

So why not just play Dalton against the Lions and give Fields two weeks to get healthy? Even Nagy seemed to talk himself in that direction when he answered that question.

“I think where he’s at and the way he’s been growing and just for him to get these reps,” Nagy said. “At the same time, there is a safety issue, too, with making sure he doesn’t get to a point where things get worse. So we’ve got to monitor that.

“Regardless of everything, we always want to make sure that we’re not putting our players at more risk regardless of who you are. Obviously, there’s more magnitude to everybody else — and to us — with Justin. And being the quarterback and touching the football every play and throwing and that sort of thing. So we’ll have to keep that in mind.”

Indeed, they will.

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In this image taken from video, an SUV speeds past a young girl and others attending a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wis. on Sunday and continues to drive through the parade, injuring multiple people. | Jesus Ochoa/Distributed by the Associated Press

A live video feed of the parade from the city of Waukesha, located about 20 miles west of Milwaukee, as well as videos taken by parade attendees showed a red SUV breaking through barriers and speeding into the roadway.

WAUKESHA, Wis. — The man suspected of plowing his SUV into a Christmas parade in suburban Milwaukee, killing at least five people and injuring 48, had left the scene of a domestic dispute just minutes before, Waukesha’s police chief said Monday.

Police Chief Dan Thompson said there was is no evidence the crash on Sunday was a terrorist attack or that the suspect knew anyone in the parade.

The chief said police were drawing up five charges of intentional homicide against the 39-year-old Milwaukee man.

A joyous scene of marching bands and children dancing in Santa hats and waving pompoms gave way in an instant Sunday to screams and the sight of crumpled bodies as the SUV sped through barricades and struck dancers, musicians and others. Members of a “Dancing Grannies” club were among those killed, as was an employee of Citizens Bank.

Thompson identified those killed as four women ages 52 to 79 and an 81-year-old man.

“It looked like dummies being thrown in the air,” said Nicole Schneiter, who was there with her children and grandchildren. “It took a second to register, like, ‘Is that what we really just saw?’ And then you looked in the road and there were just people laying in road.”

At least nine patients — most of them children — were listed in critical condition Monday at two hospitals, and seven others were reported in serious condition.

According to the chief, police were not pursuing the suspect when he entered the parade route, but an officer did fire a shot to try to stop him but ceased firing because of the danger to others. The driver was not injured.

Jeffrey Phelps/Associated Press
Police tape cordons off a street in Waukesha, Wis., after a vehicle plowed into a Christmas parade hitting more than 20 people Sunday.

The horror was recorded by the city’s livestream and onlookers’ cellphones. One video shows the moment the SUV broke through the barricades and includes the apparent sound of several gunshots.

“It was like a war scene walking through there,” said Ken Walter, who had been riding in the parade in a hot air balloon basket along with his wife and youngest son. “There were these piles of blankets with cops standing over them that you just knew were bodies.”

Walter said he saw a red SUV careen into view and watched it hit a member of his real estate-agency parade contingent, then barrel straight into members of the Waukesha South High School marching band.

The SUV continued down the parade route. Behind it, people were screaming, running, searching for family and friends and unsure whether they were still in danger, he recalled.

“It was like everything went into slow motion, and I couldn’t hear anything,” Walter said.

Schneiter said after sheltering in a store, she emerged to see bodies in the street, along with strollers, chairs, candy, random shoes. “Just stuff everywhere,” she said. “You can’t believe that really happened. It felt like we were in a movie or something. It just felt crazy.”

Jeffrey Phelps/Associated Press
Police investigators in downtown Waukesha, Wis., after an SUV plowed into a parade of Christmas marchers on Sunday, killing multiple people.

The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies posted on its Facebook page that its members were “doing what they loved, performing in front of crowds in a parade putting smiles on faces of all ages, filling them with joy and happiness.”

“Those who died were extremely passionate Grannies. Their eyes gleamed … joy of being a Grannie. They were the glue … held us together,” the organization said.

A Roman Catholic priest, parishioners and Waukesha Catholic schoolchildren were among those injured, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee said.

Eighteen children ages 3 to 16 were brought to Children’s Wisconsin Hospital, including three sets of siblings, said Dr. Amy Drendel, medical director of the emergency department. They suffered injuries ranging from scrapes on their faces to broken bones and serious head injuries, she said. Six were listed in critical condition.

“This is unique and truly demonstrates the devastating effects of this on our community,” said Dr. Michael Meyer, head of the hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit.

At the White House, President Joe Biden said that “we don’t have all the facts and details yet” but that his administration was closely monitoring the situation.

The Waukesha school district canceled classes Monday and Tuesday and said extra counselors would be on hand for students and staff. The parade’s lineup included cheer, dance and band entries associated with district schools.

The parade, held each year on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, is sponsored by the city’s Chamber of Commerce. This year’s event, the 59th, had the theme of “comfort and joy.”

Waukesha is a western suburb of Milwaukee, and about 55 miles north of Kenosha, where Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted Friday of charges stemming from the fatal shooting of two men and the wounding of a third during unrest in that city in August 2020.

Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel/Distributed by the Associated Press
Police investigate at the scene of a crash involving multiple people and injuries at a holiday parade in Waukesha, Wis., on Sunday.Read More

Bears cornerback Kindle Vildor covers Ravens receiver Sammy Watkins on Sunday. | Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley picked on Vildor, as other teams have in recent weeks.

Cornerback Kindle Vildor sat on the bench with his head in his hands in the final seconds of the Bears’ 16-13 loss to the Ravens on Sunday. He had good reason to: the Ravens’ 72-yard, 89-second touchdown drive to win the game had his fingerprints all over it.

“I’ll tell him what I told the whole defense, was, ‘Pick your head up.'” cornerback Jaylon Johnson said.

Johnson was targeted only once Sunday. Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley — Johnson’s friend and former Utah teammate — picked on Vildor, as other teams have in recent weeks.

“Man, it’s definitely tough,” inside linebacker Roquan Smith said. “There’s not a lot you can say to an individual after, if a play is on him like that. …

“It’s tough to say anything to anyone on defense when you know your guys just had it in our hands and we lost it like that.”

Monday, coach Matt Nagy said Vildor was responsible for the biggest error in a drive full of them — broken coverage on third-and-12 that gave the Ravens the ball at the 3 with 25 seconds to play.

When the Ravens dropped back, they had a 35.9 chance to win the game, per EdjSports.com. When they completed the pass, it went up to 80.6 percent.

There were other plays, too. Here’s a look at three big gains the Bears gave up on the Ravens’ final drive:

First-and-10 at the Ravens’ 28, 1:33 to play

Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman lined up tight to the right and ran outside toward the numbers on the right before turning his route upfield. Vildor got turned the wrong way — right before Huntley threw, he was actually facing the right sideline — but ran step-for-step with Bateman. Safety Deon Bush was waiting for him at the top of the route, too.

Bateman slowed down with the ball in the air, though, and Vildor actually grabbed the front of his jersey from behind, causing him to stumble. Bush dropped what would have been an interception — but it didn’t matter, as Vildor was flagged for an obvious pass interference penalty. The Ravens gained 21 yards.

“Bush was playing over the top,” Nagy said. “You’ve just got to be able to trust where you’re at and position for that throw. He put one up for us to be able to get it. That’s definitely one we want back.”

First-and-10 at the Ravens’ 49, 1:27 to play

The Ravens lined up in a bunch formation right, with tight end Mark Andrews at the line of scrimmage, receiver Devin Duvernay in the slot inside of him and Bateman off the line of scrimmage on the outside.

At the snap, the Ravens released running back Devonta Freeman into the right flat. The Bears were playing Cover 4 on that side of the field. Marqui Christian, playing nickel cornerback, made contact with Duvernay as he ran a wheel route up the right sideline, then broke toward the flat, ostensibly passing him off to Vildor.

Vildor didn’t close in time and was left to graze Duvernay, who was wide open along the right sideline, as he ran out of bounds for a 21-yard gain.

Third-and-12 at the Bears 32, 0:33 to play

The Ravens threw incomplete on third-and-2 but an Alejandro Villanueva holding penalty pushed them 10 yards back. Facing third-and-12, they again lined up in a bunch formation right. This time, Andrews was in the near right slot, Sammy Watkins had his toe on the line and Tylan Wallace was on the outside of him, just off the line of scrimmage.

The Bears were playing man coverage.

At the snap, Wallace — a rookie with zero career catches — ran a shallow cross underneath, from right to left. Safety Tashaun Gipson and Vildor both ran toward him, though they were unable to sink down underneath Andrews, who ran an over route. Christian ran with Andrews as he went right to left.

Inside linebacker Roquan Smith blitzed. Safety DeAndre Houston-Carson did, too, once he realized his man — running back Latavius Murray — was staying in to block.

Watkins ran a seam route straight up the field — and no one covered him. Seven yards into the route, he waved for the ball. He was outside the right numbers; when Huntley threw the ball, only one Bears defensive back — Bush — was even on the right side of the hash. Watkins caught a 29-yard pass and Bush shoved him out of bounds at the 3.

Nagy said Vildor should have covered Watkins.

“We have our own little rules and they have communication tools that they use within the bunch sets, so there’s a little bit of details that go into that … ” Nagy said. “It looks like it to all of us, yeah, it’s on Kindle. But they have their own set of rules of communicating and who has what with the way they defend the bunch set.”

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Grab your winter coat. Lace-up your blades. It’s the most wonderful time of year…to hit the rinks! Whether you’re a beginner or practically Nancy Kerrigan on the ice, you have to check out some of the best ice skating rinks in Chicago. Perfect for a weekend activity with the kids, a romantic first date, or just an exciting solo trip—you can’t go wrong gliding around for a few hours at these locations!

337 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601

Opening Friday, November 19th, this popular ice skating destination in Chicago loops around almost one quarter of a mile and holds up to 700 skaters. Lockers and skates are available for rental on-site. You’ll want to make a reservation online as there’s no waitlist or refunds. Spaces fill up fast (especially on the weekends) so book your experience today!

11 Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60602

Another downtown favorite. Returning for its 20th season, the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park is open daily starting on November 19 through March 6. If you are looking for ice skating rinks in downtown Chicago, admission is totally free but you’ll need to fork over a little bit of cash for skate rentals. And if you get hungry or thirsty, you can grab hot drinks and snacks from nearby Momentum Coffee! Make your reservation online here. 

3843 N California Ave , Chicago, IL 60618

Head over to this North Center location for open skate on Saturdays from 4:40pm to 6:10pm or

Sundays from 4:30pm to 6:00pm. Public skating fees are $5 for adults and $3 for skate rentals. Advance registration is not necessary but you’ll have to sign up at the front desk when you arrive. And don’t forget your face mask since this is an indoor rink.

9711 Waveland Ave, Franklin Park, IL 60131

Looking for a lunchtime open skate? You got it. This family-friendly indoor ice skating and hockey rink near Chicago offers lessons plus youth and adult leagues. They’re also open daily (all season long!) for some relaxing loops around the ring. Entrance is $6 and skate rental is $3 a pair. Check out their schedule here. 

1801 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60612

Visit the Chicago Blackhawks’ practice home, and your community space for public ice skating, beginner and rat hockey, and adult leagues! All admissions are on a first come first serve basis. So no need to make a reservation or buy presale tickets. Daily admission is $10 and skate rentals are $5. And before you get your skate on, make sure you’re up-to-speed on the rules!

1130 Midway Plaisance, Chicago, IL 60637

Pop over to Hyde Park to spend time at this lovely outdoor rink. Bring your own skates or rent a pair on site while enjoying awesome views of the UChicago campus. Admission to this ice skating destination in Chicago is free and rentals are $7. See their daily schedule here. 

600 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

You know us now. We always save the best to the last. And when it comes to the best ice skating rinks in Chicago, there’s just no competition against Navy Pier’s indoor ice rink. And for the first time ever, the Pier is doing a gorgeous light installation above the rink called Light Up the Lake from November 26 thru January 2!

If you order early (before December 20), you can also enjoy the special Santa Saving Days discounts for children and adults.

Featured Image Credit: Millenium Park

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