The Chicago Blackhawks are in the middle of what seems like a brutal rebuild, considering the glory days of 2010-2015. But general manager Kyle Davidson said at the end of the 2023-24 season that they were ready to take the next step. After finishing 30th and 31st in the league for the last two seasons, this would just be unacceptable moving forward.
True to his word, Davidson made numerous splashes on the first day of free agency (eight to be exact) in an effort to improve this team, and give the new face of the franchise (Connor Bedard) more support. The Blackhawks aren’t slated to make the playoffs this season (rebuilds simply don’t work that way), but they should be a much more improved and competitive team than the last two seasons.
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Chicago hockey should be more exciting to watch this season. The Blackhawks added some veteran depth around a constantly improving group of prospects as they look for all the right ingredients to take it to the next level. With that said, let’s look at the 2024-25 season schedule, which was released on Tuesday, and 10 games that will be especially exciting to watch.
Blackhawks 2024-25 Schedule: An Overview
Before we start, let’s cover some of the overall basics of the schedule. There will be a total of 21 home games over the weekend this season, with seven of those being matinee games. This includes six Friday night games, five Saturday games, and 10 contests on a Sunday. This leaves plenty of opportunities to take in all the fun of the United Center experience!
The team will have two five-game homestands; one between Dec. 29 – Jan. 3 (including the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field) and the other between Mar. 23 – Apr. 2. There will be the usual two-week break in mid-February. But this time if won’t be for the All-Star Break but instead for the new Four Nations Faceoff.
As far as division opponents, the Blackhawks will face all of the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators and the Utah Hockey Club four times. They’ll match up against the St. Louis Blues and the Winnipeg Jets three times.
This schedule is preceded by six exhibition games between Sept. 25 – Oct. 5, with two games apiece against the Detroit Red Wings, the Blues and the Wild (including the last preseason game in Milwaukee against the Blues).
With that said, here are 10 regular season games you’ll want to circle on your calendar.
Blackhawks at Utah Hockey Club, Tuesday, Oct. 8
Three games are scheduled for the NHL’s opening night on Oct. 8; one of them being the newest NHL team, Utah, hosting the Blackhawks. All eyes will be on the shiny new club out of Salt Lake City, formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes.
Nevertheless, this will be the first game of the season for the Blackhawks. We’ll all want to tune in to see who made the roster out of training camp. What will the forward lines and defensive pairings look like? And just how competitive will this team look out of the gate?
This will be the fifth consecutive season the Blackhawks start their campaign with a road trip. After Utah, they’ll have a mini-Canada trip, facing the Jets, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames before heading back to Chicago for their home-opener. Hopefully this will make for good bonding time for the team to gel, get to know each other and build some chemistry.
Blackhawks vs. San Jose Sharks, Thursday, Oct. 17
What a fitting home-opener for the Blackhawks! They’ll host the only team that finished below them in the 2023-24 standings. But the Sharks also received the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Macklin Celebrini.
Yes, it’s Bedard versus Celebrini, the last two first overall picks, facing off for the first time. Bedard, the definitive star rookie all last season, will finally be the veteran player in this scenario. Will he and his new-look Blackhawks pull out a win for the first time in front of a United Center crowd? It should be a packed house, and a fun game to attend in person.
Blackhawks vs. Detroit Red Wings, Wednesday, Nov. 6
I’m not sure if Blackhawks’ fans will ever get over the sting of losing franchise icon Patrick Kane. The man they call Showtime gave Chicago more highlight reels plays than they can count.
The forever love between player and the fans rang loud and clear when Kane returned to the United Center, now playing with the Detroit Red Wings, on Feb. 25, 2023. It was Chris Chelios’ banner raising ceremony, but Kaner stole the show with an overtime goal to seal the win for the enemy. It didn’t really matter; the fans still gave him a standing ovation.
There was some talk about Kane returning to the Blackhawks this season, but Davidson put that to rest, saying this was never under discussion. Which is why it will be extra hard to see Kane suited up in the enemy winged wheel sweater once again in early November.
Who knows, maybe the Blackhawks can pull out a win against Kane and also previous Blackhawk Alex DeBrincat. Remember former defenseman and one-season wonder (2018-19 season, 17 goals and 60 points) Erik Gustafsson? He signed a one-year deal with the Red Wings as well. It will be a matchup to bring back memories of the old Blackhawks/Red Wings rivalries, when they were in the same division.
Blackhawks vs. Dallas Stars, Wednesday, Nov. 27
It’s always fun to take in a hockey game around the holidays, which is why I chose the Blackhawks against the Stars on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. What better way to spend the night before a traditional holiday feast than watching this divisional contest?
Colin Blackwell, who spent the last two seasons with the Blackhawks, recently signed a one-year deal with the Stars. He was always a fan favorite in Chicago, showing grit and fortitude both on and off the ice while overcoming multiple injuries. Will it be a revenge game for Blackwell? Well, we sure hope not!
✍️ We have signed Colin Blackwell to a one-year, $775k contract.
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) July 2, 2024
Welcome to #TexasHockey, Colin!
More: https://t.co/Cmx1aSnbap pic.twitter.com/vTm21mcQd2
Nonetheless, whether you attend in person or just sit back and watch this game on the couch, it’s a good exercise before all the gluttony of Thanksgiving.
Blackhawks at Toronto Maple Leafs, Monday, Dec. 2
I picked this game because of all the crossover player connections. It will be Tyler Bertuzzi and T.J. Brodie’s first game against their old club. I’m confident their identity will be with the Blackhawks by this point in the season. But it will certainly be bittersweet to visit their old barn for the first time on the other side. Especially for Brodie, who spent the last four seasons with the Maple Leafs.
On the other side, Blackhawks’ fans will see Max Domi and Jake McCabe giving it their all, now entrenched with the Maple Leafs. Both these players were dealt at the 2023 trade deadline by the Blackhawks, and are now officially Maple Leafs. Their time in Chicago was short, but both Domi and McCabe endeared themselves to the Blackhawks with their physical and gritty style of play.
David Kampf is a former beloved Blackhawk that now plays for the Maple Leafs as well.
Blackhawks at Minnesota Wild, Monday, Dec. 23
I’m going to stick with the holiday theme here, and another division rivalry to boot. Who doesn’t like a good ole hockey game right before Christmas? Yes, the Blackhawks and the Wild face off on the eve of Christmas Eve. I wonder just where these two teams will be in the standings at this point?
It’s always entertaining to see siblings pitted against each other; in this case it will be Nick Foligno for the Blackhawks and Marcus Foligno for the Wild. Let’s also not forget former Blackhawk Ryan Hartman plays a big role with the Wild now, and Reese Johnson was just signed in Minnesota.
Finally, this could be the last time we see Marc-Andre Fleury suit up against his former club (Fleury played for the Blackhawks in the 2021-22 season). The man they call Flower signed a one-year deal with the Wild, saying it will also be his final season before he retires.
These two teams do meet up again on Jan. 26 at the United Center. But again, there’s something special about combining Christmas and hockey.
Blackhawks & St. Louis Blues, Tuesday, Dec. 31 (Winter Classic at Wrigley Field)
Well, duh! This is obviously a must-watch game, as it’s the Winter Classic and an outdoor game at iconic Wrigley Field. This is the first time the Blackhawks have returned to Wrigley Field since the 2009 Winter Classic, 15 long years ago. Wouldn’t it be fun to beat the Blues at such a special venue?!
This will also mark the first NHL outdoor game for Bedard, Alex Vlasic and many other young Blackhawks. It’s an experience they’ll likely never forget. Puck drop is slated for 4 p.m. Central, so there will be plenty of time to watch the game and still ring in the New Year in style.
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This contest also marks the middle of a five-game homestand for the Blackhawks. If you can’t afford Winter Classic tickets, you have the opportunity to attend games versus the Stars, the Montreal Canadiens, the New York Rangers or the Avalanche around this time.
Blackhawks vs. Carolina Hurricanes, Monday, Jan. 20
Teuvo Teravainen is probably the highest profile free agent the Blackhawks signed on July 1, the first day of free agency. Plus, he started his career with the Blackhawks, winning a Stanley Cup with them in 2015.
But after that Teravainen was traded to the Hurricanes, where he enjoyed eight seasons of success as a top-six forward. He also contributed to playoff runs for Carolina the last six seasons.
This is the first game Teravainen will face his former club. Even though he was formerly a Blackhawk, it will be weird to see the 29-year-old Finn play against the Hurricanes. I can’t even imagine what it will be like for him.
But they say once the game starts it’s just another contest. Either way, there should be some extra sparks and motivation in this one.
Blackhawks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, Tuesday, April 6
Now don’t get me wrong, there will be plenty of fun games to watch in February and March, but the next contest I have highlighted is against the Penguins on Apr. 6.
Bedard’s childhood idol was Sidney Crosby of the Penguins. Crosby was also the first player the 18-year-old saw across the faceoff dot for his first ever NHL game. But it doesn’t stop there. When Bedard returned from jaw surgery on Feb. 15, 2024, the Blackhawks played Crosby and the Pens. This is likely one of the main reasons Bedard pushed so hard to be back for that game.
But ironically, the Blackhawks and the Penguins don’t meet until Apr. 6 this season, and it’s the only contest between the two teams. Bedard will have almost two full seasons under his belt by this time. Will he be able to go head-to-head with Sid?! Another good reason to tune in to this matchup.
Blackhawks vs. Winnipeg Jets, Saturday, Apr. 12
My final pick for a game to circle on your calendar is the last home game of the season for the Blackhawks, with only two road contests after that to end the 2024-25 campaign. Many fans will want to enjoy the festivities at the United Center one last time before the long offseason. Will the Blackhawks be in playoff contention? Probably not. But perhaps they could play spoiler to their Central division foes?
Depending on their place in the standings, the Blackhawks might also call some young prospects up for this game, giving them a chance to show their stuff in an NHL game. It’s always a bittersweet time of year if the club won’t see any postseason action. But it’s also a time to play hard and end the season on a high note, with hopes for an even better 2025-26 campaign.
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It should be an exciting 2024-25 season for the Blackhawks. A more talented team will be taking the ice based on free agent acquisitions. Young players and prospects will be excited to prove themselves and take the next step in their development. For diehard fans, every game will be a game to watch. But the above are must-see games to circle on your calendar.
