Are you missing Chicago Blackhawks hockey as much as I am? Oh my gosh, it’s only June! Watching the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues duke it out in the Stanley Cup Final is alright, but it’s not the Blackhawks we know and love.
While we wait for October and a new season to begin, let’s have some fun! My colleague Jeff Seide recently published a very extensive piece titled, “Do You Know Your Blackhawks Trivia?”. He delves into the long and storied history of this Original Six team. I highly recommend you check it out.
Related – Do You Know Your Blackhawks Trivia?
But today I’d like to stay a little more current. Let’s talk some trivia from just the last few years. How well do you know your modern Blackhawks? I present 15 questions below, with the answers and explanations in the following sections. So grab a pen and paper and see how you do. And no cheating!
Blackhawks’ Fun With Numbers
1. Ok, let’s start with a really, really easy one. What numbers do Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane sport on their sweaters?
2. How old is Blackhawks’ head coach Jeremy Colliton?
3. This might be a bit tough for most of you. Who wears No. 64 for the Blackhawks?
4. How many American-born men currently play for the Hawks, and who are they?
5. In the 2018-19 season, who reached the milestone of 1000 career NHL games for the Blackhawks?
More Numbers Fun: Statistics
6. How many goals did Duncan Keith score in his 2017-18 season?
7. Who tallied two hat tricks for the Hawks in the 2018-19 season?
8. How many shutouts has goaltender Corey Crawford recorded in his career with the Blackhawks?
9. Defenseman Erik Gustafsson wowed everyone this past season by tying for third place in the NHL among defensemen in goals scored. How many goals did he notch? (Bonus points for naming his assists and points stats as well)
10. He had quite the hot streak in March 2019, scoring eight goals and two assists for 10 points (including a hat trick and two other multi-point games). Name that Blackhawk.
Blackhawks’ Queries: Just Plain Fun
11. The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015. Which current four players have won all three Cups?
12. Who won two Stanley Cups with the team, was traded, and then returned?
13. There are four players on the Blackhawks whose first name starts with a “D,” and last name begins with a “K” (one was just recently signed). Can you name them?
14. What is the name of Alex DeBrincat’s dog?
15. Who scored the very last goal of the 2018-19 season for the Blackhawks?
Related – Top 10 Highlights From Blackhawks’ 2018-19 Season
Answers to Fun With Numbers
1. Was this TOO easy? As a Blackhawks’ fan, if you don’t know this you might not really be a fan. Captain Toews is No. 19, and Mr. Showtime Kane is No. 88.
2. Colliton is 34 years old. He is currently the youngest head coach in the NHL. His two assistant coaches, Sheldon Brookbank and the newly hired Tomas Mitell are both 38 years old. That’s quite a young coaching staff. Could their inexperience be a factor this upcoming season? Only time will tell.
3. David Kampf wears No. 64 for the Blackhawks. Kampf finished his second NHL season with four goals and 15 assists, mostly in a fourth line center role. Coach Colliton often spoke highly of Kampf last season, so look to see more of him in 2019-20.
4. There are currently five American-born players on the Blackhawks’ roster: Kane, DeBrincat, Brandon Saad, John Hayden, and defenseman Connor Murphy. Rockford IceHogs goaltender Collin Delia is expected to be Crawford’s backup next season. If this is the case that would make six players.
5. Yes, this is a trick question, because two players actually hit this milestone in the 2018-19 season. Keith was honored at the beginning of the season on Oct. 13, 2018. There was a tribute for Chris Kunitz on Feb. 14, 2019.
Answers to Fun With Statistics
6. Keith had his worst year production-wise in the 2017-18 season, only tallying two goals. But his second goal was a pretty important one. He scored the game-winning tally against the Blues with only 8.5 seconds left to go in regulation on April 4.
The Blues finished the season with 94 points, but it was the Colorado Avalanche that clinched the final Central Division wild card spot with 95 points. Keith’s goal arguably cost the Blues a playoff berth.
7. Toews scored two hat tricks this past season, against the Blues (10/6) and the Washington Capitals (1/20). Toews had a resurgent year, also recording a career-high 35 goals, 46 assists, and 81 points.
8. Crawford has 25 shutouts in his 12-year NHL career. His seven shutouts in the 2015-16 season led all goaltenders.
9. Gustafsson’s 17 goals tied the Calgary Flames’ Mark Giordano for third place among defensemen in the NHL. He also recorded 43 assists (eighth place) and 60 points (sixth place).
10. The Blackhawk with the hot streak in March was none other than Brendan Perlini. Perlini was acquired in late November along with Dylan Strome from the Arizona Coyotes. While Strome found instant success, Perlini struggled with his new team. But he showed what he was capable of in a seven-game stretch in early March, before fading again at the end of the season. Can Perlini harness his short-term success more consistently next season?
Related – Emptying the 2019 NHL Combine Notebook
Answers to Just Plain Fun
11. This one is probably pretty easy as well. The core Blackhawks that have won three Cups are Toews, Kane, Keith, and Brent Seabrook.
12. Another trick question! Most of you were probably thinking Brandon Saad, and you are correct. But Marcus Kruger also had this same fate.
After being an integral piece of Cup wins with the Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015, Saad spent two seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets before returning to Chicago in the summer of 2017. But this was at the price of the Blackhawks’ beloved Artemi Panarin.
Saad is constantly compared to the high-scoring Panarin, but he also brings different strengths to the table. He hasn’t yet seen the kind of success he had in his first stint as a Blackhawk. But he did have a resurgent 2018-19 season, recording a respectable 23 goals and 24 assists (47 points). We shall see if he will eventually win a third Cup with the Blackhawks.
Kruger also won Cups with the Hawks in 2013 and 2015 before being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in the summer of 2017. He spent the the 2017-18 season playing for the Hurricanes and their AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. His return to the Blackhawks this past season was not as successful as Saad’s. As a matter of fact, he’s not expected to return for the 2019-20 campaign.
13. We’re all going to go insane next season trying to keep these players straight. Thank goodness they also have numbers on their sweaters. The DK connection is Duncan Keith (No. 2), Dominik Kahun (24), David Kampf (64), and the newly signed Dominik Kubalik (number to be determined). Kahun, Kampf, and Kubalik all hail from the Czech Republic, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility they could be linemates. Oh my!
14. I know, I know. This has nothing to do with hockey. But I’ll bet most of you knew the answer to this question. Since the dynamic left winger’s nickname is The Cat, it’s ironic that one of his favorite friends is a dog. DeBrincat’s canine companion is named Ralph, and he’s up for best dog in the NHL Fan Choice contest. You can still get your votes in!
15. I love this question because I’m excited about watching this player next season. It was Drake Caggiula who scored the final goal of the season for the Blackhawks. Caggiula brings a lot of grit and energy to his game, along with a fair amount of skill. Colliton was deploying him on the first line with Toews and Kane, and he complemented them well. Yet he could arguably be effective throughout the lineup. It will be interesting to see where he fits in during the next campaign.
How did you do with our 15 trivia questions? How many did you get right? I hope you enjoyed this fun exercise while we wait for more Blackhawks’ news as the summer unfolds.
The NHL Draft and free agency are just around the corner, so stay tuned for our updates and analysis. In the meantime, is it October yet?!
