The draft is done, new additions are coming, and the 2023-24 Chicago Blackhawks are taking shape. Though the season opener may be more than three months away, the schedule is out, and now’s the perfect time to hone in on some key dates. Here are five must-watch games for Blackhawks fans as the team looks to improve in season two of their rebuild.
Oct. 10 at Pittsburgh Penguins
As one of three opening-night matchups on ESPN, the Blackhawks are starting their season with a bang. Connor Bedard, who is sure to be their next face of the franchise, will begin his NHL career against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s well-known that Crosby is Bedard’s hockey idol – Bedard received a congratulatory text from the three-time Stanley Cup champion after he was drafted No. 1 overall. Though Crosby is still playing at an elite level, he is 35, and the two players may only have so many matchups against one another. Fans should soak this one in.
The game will also be a rematch after last season’s league-altering defeat; a 5-2 Chicago win helped the Florida Panthers clinch a Stanley Cup Playoff berth en route to the Cup Final. The Blackhawks’ season opener in Pittsburgh will mark the first of two back-to-back national broadcasts, as they’ll then travel to Boston to face the Bruins on Oct. 11 on TNT in an Original Six clash.
Oct. 21 vs. Vegas Golden Knights
Along with the Arizona Coyotes, the Blackhawks will be the last of 32 teams to host their home opener. After a season-opening five-game road trip, they’ll welcome Jack Eichel and the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights to the United Center, with Bedard likely making his home debut. The game will be the team’s first of seven Saturday home games, their most since 1957-58. The Blackhawks will also have faced the previous year’s Cup winners in three of their last four home or season openers. The Blackhawks opened the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season against the Tampa Bay Lightning and started 2022-23 against the Colorado Avalanche, both away games.
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For the Blackhawks, it’ll no doubt feel nice to return to United Center ice, but it won’t last long. Following the game, they’ll host the Bruins on Oct. 24 before a two-game road trip, including a rematch against the Golden Knights on Oct. 27. Of the Blackhawks’ first 15 games in 2023-24, 10 are on the road, with just five at home. It could make for a tough test, with their first five home games all against playoff teams: the Golden Knights, Bruins, Panthers (Nov. 4), New Jersey Devils (Nov. 5), and Lightning (Nov. 16).
Nov. 24 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Football may own American Thanksgiving, but the NHL will also be making its mark, with 15 games scheduled for Black Friday. Beginning a three-game homestand, the Blackhawks will host Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 1 p.m. (CST) matinee. Provided both players are healthy, it could mark the first game back at the United Center for Jake McCabe and Sam Lafferty after last February’s trade. Two other former Blackhawks could also be suiting up for Toronto, including Max Domi (2021-22) and David Kämpf (2017-21).
Unlike the Blackhawks, the Maple Leafs are in win-now mode, but these games are always fun, no matter where both teams are in the standings. Look no further than the Blackhawks’ 5-3 upset win last February, when Patrick Kane scored a hat trick in his second-to-last home game for Chicago. There was also the Blackhawks’ 2018-19 home opener, a four-point outing for Matthews in a 7-6 Maple Leafs overtime win. It could be another fun affair as the Blackhawks host their fourth straight Black Friday matinee, in which they’ve gone 1-1-1 since the tradition began in 2019.
Dec. 12 at Edmonton Oilers
More than two months after facing Crosby, Bedard will take on another generational talent for the first time. The Blackhawks will head up north to face Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers for the first of three meetings, with rematches scheduled for Jan. 9 in Chicago and Jan. 25 in Edmonton. The Blackhawks lost all three games last season, but two were decided by one goal or fewer. With Bedard leading a revamped and arguably more watchable team, including former Oiler Taylor Hall, it’ll be the first of three hopefully entertaining contests.
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Of course, Bedard has yet to play an NHL game. As great as he might be, Bedard may never have the same career as McDavid. However, he has drawn many comparisons to the three-time Hart Trophy winner, most notably his hockey IQ and ability to take over a game at any given moment. It’ll be interesting to see how they fare against one other in what’ll likely be the first of many games between the two.
Jan. 22 at Vancouver Canucks
This game might have flown under the radar in previous seasons, as the Blackhawks’ rivalry with the Vancouver Canucks all but died after the teams’ last of three straight playoff meetings in 2011. Not counting the 2019 Edmonton bubble, they haven’t been in the postseason together since 2015. What’ll make this meeting important, however, is it’ll be Bedard’s homecoming. He’s a North Vancouver, British Columbia native and grew up a Canucks fan, even attending Game 5 of the 2011 Western Conference Final, the series-clincher for Vancouver.
While it’ll be an emotional night for Bedard, this game could also be significant for other Blackhawks. It’ll mark the start of a four-game Pacific Division road trip, as they’ll then face the Seattle Kraken (Jan. 24), Oilers (Jan. 25), and Calgary Flames (Jan. 27) before the All-Star break. With next year’s trade deadline likely to come around late February or early March, it could be a prime opportunity for some players to begin raising their value, provided the team is in a position to sell.
The Blackhawks enter an intriguing season. On one hand, there’s little expectation to compete, despite adding Bedard and other veterans such as Hall, Nick Foligno, Corey Perry, and Ryan Donato. At the same time, it’ll mark season two for head coach Luke Richardson, and there’ll be higher expectations. Still, there’s a better feeling around the team than this time last year, with this season’s schedule offering many exciting matchups.
