5 Takeaways From Blackhawks’ Centennial Home-Opener Celebration

It’s awesome. I’m super fortunate in my career to have a chance now to coach two Original Six franchises, so it’s a pretty special thing. To take part in a Centennial season like this makes it extra special.

And then when you get a chance to be around so many of the great players that have played here and come before, like I did last night, it just puts it into perspective how actually special it is. It’s just a lot of guys with a lot of pride in our organization, in our uniform. I think if it does one thing, having even a night like last night, where we were able to hang out and with the number of alums, it’s a great reminder that every single second in this league is special, and to cherish every second.

There certainly was some excitement in the air. The players obviously wanted to win their first game in front of their home crowd on this special night. I asked Frank Nazar what it was like to be a Chicago Blackhawk at the home opener (and a Centennial celebration) for the first time, and whether he had any jitters. Unsurprisingly, his confidence and swagger came through in his response.

Super excited. I think it’s more excitement. Not nervous, not scared. It’s more like ready to go and see all those fans show up and pop out for our game.

For defenseman Sam Rinzel, this was only his 12^th game as a Blackhawk. He’s been given so much responsibility in such a short time, it’s easy to forget this is all so new to him. But he had a similar response.

I’m excited. The whole red carpet thing should be cool.

(I asked about the dress code). Yeah, I think we’re gonna try and show up and look nice. I think that’s kind of the plan.

On having jitters, he said he didn’t have any right then, but would probably get an adrenaline rush getting suited up for the game.

Players have always said once a game gets started it’s like any other game, no matter the importance. But Rinzel did admit the red carpet can be kind of unnerving.

In my draft year during the red carpet, I got really nervous and ran inside.

The funny thing is Rinzel was the first player to walk the red carpet, and he did just fine! Oh, and he also scored his first NHL goal a little later in the evening. But I get ahead of myself.

Blackhawks Alumni Honored

More than 50 Blackhawks alumni representing all modern eras of the Blackhawks 100-year history also walked the red carpet. For the Centennial celebration, the Blackhawks have designated their rich history into four main chapters: The Originals, The Madhouse, The Banner Years and The Next Originals.

Some alumni present included (in no particular order): Tony Amonte, Chris Chelios, Eddie Olczyk, Jeremy Roenick , Denis Savard, Brian Campbell, Adam Burish and Corey Crawford. The Blackhawks provided a synopsis of what it meant for these former players to be appreciated.

A little later in the afternoon the Blackhawks announced that Roenick and previous Blackhawks’ broadcaster Pat Foley have been named as new Blackhawks ambassadors. They will join Chelios, Savard and Troy Murray.

It was a special day to revisit the past players who many of us remember and appreciate as part of Blackhawks lore. Some of these players might have made us Blackhawks fans in the first place. It was a perfect way to segue into the new generation of players in Chicago, who are currently seeking to make the Blackhawks a contending franchise once again.

The Red-Carpet for Current Blackhawks

The final act from the red carpet was obviously the current players themselves. As mentioned above, Rinzel got things started. Veterans

our alumni are home❤ pic.twitter.com/Fn1T0A5gtY

But we all know the fans wanted to see Connor Bedard, and he didn’t disappoint, sporting a sharp velvet suit.

After the red-carpet festivities, the doors opened early at the United Center (4 p.m.), providing the fans with additional activities and food and beverage specials. The first 20,000 fans received a 2025-26 magnet schedule, presented by Circa Sports.

Blackhawks Pre-Game Ceremony

The pre-game ceremony was hosted by the one-and-only Pat Foley, who was a broadcaster for the Blackhawks from 1980 through 2006, and then again from 2008 until he retired in 2022. Foley is a HUGE part of Blackhawk’s history, and will now serve as one of their ambassadors.

Foley gave a special shout out to another Blackhawks alumni and longtime radio color commentator announcer, Troy Murray, who was unable to be at the ceremony due to health reasons (he is currently dealing with pancreatic cancer).

The standing ovation for Murray was electric, and just shows how close-knit and supporting the hockey community is.

Blackhawks’ Game vs. the Montreal Canadiens

Considering the circumstances, the Blackhawks really wanted to win this game. Perhaps too much so. They went all out, but therefore weren’t very disciplined. This game featured A LOT of spit and vinegar on both sides.

Things got chippy right off the bat, and the Blackhawks showed they weren’t going to back down from defending themselves and their teammates. At one point in the second period there were two fights going on at once. Defenseman Louis Crevier engaged with Canadiens’ Kaiden Guhle after he laid a big hit on Nazar. Wyatt Kaiser of the Blackhawks and Ivan Demidov of the Canadiens also got into it. Tyler Bertuzzi was another player that seemed to always be involved in the many other scrums of the night.

All in all, the visiting team was awarded 10! power plays to the Hawks’ four. The Canadiens converted on two of them. Coach Blashill lamented after the game that his penalty kill players were spending so much time on the PK they weren’t able to get much time in during five-on-five play. There definitely was no cohesiveness in this game.

However, it was fun to watch in the sense that the Blackhawks showed they weren’t going to back down from anything, and that they were a group who would go to bat for each other.

Nevertheless, discipline is an issue when you allow 10 power plays. The Blackhawks will need to find that balance between intensity and discipline moving forward. Let’s get to some bullet points from this contest.

First and foremost, congratulations to Rinzel for scoring his first NHL goal!

Kind of feels like a weight off my shoulders, said Rinzel. I’ve had a lot of chances before this, and a lot of people say the hard part is to get the chances. So I felt like I was doing the right things … to get the first one, it feels good. It gives you some confidence.

Rinzel currently leads the Blackhawks in ice time, averaging 23:26 minutes of ice time per night. He also quarterbacks the top power play unit. I have a feeling this will be the first of many goals for the young defenseman.

Bedard scored the other goal of the night, a power play goal assisted by Nazar and Teuvo Teravainen.

Nazar and Teravainen also assisted on Rinzel’s goal, giving then both two assists on the night. Nazar has started the season hot. He currently leads the team with five points in three games; a goal and four assists. Teravainen is in second place with four points (1G, 3A). Bedard, for his part, leads the team in goals, with two.

Ryan Donato played on the shutdown third line for this contest in the absence of Jason Dickinson, who is currently out with a lower body injury. Donato led the team by far with six shots on goal and 10 shot attempts. Colton Dach, who has become the team’s new agitator, registered a team-leading six hits.

Lukas Reichel made his season debut in this game, but he wasn’t able to accomplish much based on not being a member of the penalty kill, who spent A LOT of time on the ice in this one.

Finally, lost in all the shenanigans was how well Spencer Knight played in goal. He was calm, cool and collected amidst all the chaos, stopping 25-of-28 shots. Two of those shots were on the power play, and the game-winning-goal by the Canadiens certainly wasn’t Knight’s fault.

All in all, it was an incredible night to celebrate the Blackhawks Centennial kick-off along with their home-opener. It was a great look at the infamous past of this storied franchise, and a glimpse into a promising future. But three losses in a row, albeit close losses, is not going to cut it. Can the Blackhawks turn this thing around and gain some wins?!

It all starts with the next game, which is another contest on home turf. The Blackhawks host the Utah Mammoth this Monday (Oct. 13) at 7:30 p.m. Central Time. Let’s see if they can earn their first win of the 2025-26 season.