PREVIEW: Blackhawks Face Utah in Season Opener

TIME: 9:00 p.m.
TV: ESPN & ESPN + | RADIO: WGN-720-AM

The Blackhawks are set to open the regular season tonight as the team travels to Salt Lake City, Utah where Chicago will take on the Utah Hockey Club in the team’s first game in NHL history.

Fans can catch the action on ESPN/ESPN+ or listen live on WGN-AM 720. More information on how to watch Blackawks games can be found at Blackhawks.com/HowtoWatch.

NICE TO MEET YOU

Tonight’s contest against the Utah Hockey Club will be the club’s first game in NHL history. It will be the fifth time in Blackhawks history that the team will play an inaugural game for an opposing franchise (Columbus on Oct. 7, 2000, Florida on Oct. 6, 1993, Tampa Bay on Oct. 7, 1992, Edmonton on Oct. 10, 1979). Chicago holds a 2-1-1 record against clubs playing their first NHL game.

NICK OF TIME

On September 18, the Blackhawks named forward Nick Foligno as captain. Named an alternate captain ahead of the 2023-24 season, Foligno recorded 37 points (17G, 20A) in 74 games in his first season with Chicago. His 37 points ranked third among all Blackhawks skaters, while his 20 assists ranked fourth and his 17 goals shared fourth.

FRESH FACES

In the offseason, the Blackhawks brought in a number of new faces, including Tyler Bertuzzi, TJ Brodie, Laurent Brossoit, Pat Maroon, Alec Martinez, Ilya Mikheyev, Craig Smith, and Teuvo Teravainen. Altogether, the group has combined for 4,920 games played, 799 goals, 1,345 assists and 2,214 points. The group has won a collective eight Stanley Cup cups.

TURBO ENGINE

Chicago forward Teuvo Teravainen is set to play in his first game as a Blackhawk since April 25, 2016. Teravainen returns to the Blackhawks after originally being selected by Chicago in the first round (18th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft. He notched a career-high 25 goals in 76 games with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2023-24. His 25 goals ranked third among all Carolina skaters, while his 53 points shared third.

WELCOME TO THE SHOW

Blackhawks rookie defenseman Nolan Allan is expected to make his NHL debut on Tuesday at Utah. He was originally drafted by the Blackhawks in the first round (32nd overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft. He is set to become the fourth Chicago defenseman over the past two seasons to make his NHL debut, joining Kevin Korchinski, Louis Crevier and Ethan Del Mastro.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

The Blackhawks will start the 2024-25 season with a four-game road trip to Utah, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary. Chicago will open the home portion of its schedule on Thursday, Oct. 17 at the United Center against the San Jose Sharks.

Chicago will host 21 weekend games this season, spanning Friday through Sunday, with six on Friday, five on Saturday, and 10 on Sunday. The Blackhawks have seven matinee games on their home schedule, all set for Saturday or Sunday afternoons, with start times between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. This year’s seven matinee games match last season's total and are the most since the 2003-04 season, when Chicago played eight. The Blackhawks will face Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, and Utah four times each (two home, two away), while playing St. Louis three times (one home, two away) and Winnipeg three times (two home, one away).