A history of Chicago Blackhawks' home stadiums

The Chicago Blackhawks have 100 seasons in the books and have played in 95 different venues over the years. They have had three home stadiums in their storied history and have hosted four outdoor games in three different venues. They have also had “home” games in seven other arenas outside of Chicago. Let’s hop in our hockey time machine and visit them all!

Chicago Coliseum

I’m willing to bet that there aren’t too many of you reading this who attended an event at the Chicago Coliseum. The arena at Wabash Ave and 15th Street on the city’s south side was the building known as the Chicago Coliseum. Charles F. Gunther, who made his fortune in making candy, built the Coliseum in 1899.

In 1926, an ice rink was installed so the building could become the first home of the NHL’s newest team, the Blackhawks. The Coliseum was also home to the Chicago Cardinals and Chicago Shamrocks of the American Hockey Association. The Blackhawks beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 in their debut game on Nov. 17, 1926. George Hay scored the first goal in franchise history.

Ahead of the 1928-29 season, there was a falling out between Blackhawks owner Frederic McLaughlin and Paddy Harmon, who built the Chicago Stadium. Because the new building wasn't ready for opening night, the Blackhawks agreed to play at the Coliseum but could only get ice time through January. The Chicago Stadium was ready for the following season, but they didn’t move into their new arena until December, after Harmon was removed from the picture.

The Blackhawks returned to the Coliseum for the first four games of the 1932-33 season because of another dispute. The final game played there was a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens, with Hall of Famer Howie Morenz scoring the last NHL goal in the building. The Blackhawks hosted 63 games at the Chicago Coliseum, going 19-36-8.

In addition to the Blackhawks, the Chicago Coliseum hosted many events throughout the decades, including political rallies, bowling tournaments, professional wrestling cards, and the world’s first Roller Derby match. In 1962, it became the home for the NBA’s Chicago Zephyrs, who moved to Baltimore after the 1962-63 season. The Coliseum hosted many legendary musical acts, including Cream, Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, The Doors, The Grateful Dead, and Fleetwood Mac. The building was shut down in 1971 and was partially demolished in 1982, but wasn’t completely torn down until 1991.

Chicago Stadium

The Chicago Stadium was the site of my first NHL game back in the mid-80s. I instantly fell in love with the Blackhawks and the sport on my first visit. The sights, sounds, and smells of the original “Madhouse on Madison” remain ingrained in memories to this very day.

Harmin, a prominent boxing promoter, sank all his money into building the Stadium only to be forced out as president by shareholders. The Norris and Wirtz families owned the building from 1935 until it closed in 1994. The building opened only eight months after groundbreaking, which is an incredible feat. With nearly 15,000 permanent seats, it was the world's largest indoor arena when it opened. A massive Barton pipe organ was installed with the pipes and percussion installed into the ceiling, which literally made the building vibrate.

The Blackhawks played their first game at the Stadium on Dec. 8, 1929, beating the New York Americans 4-2. Normie Himes of the Americans scored the first goal in the historic arena, just 38 seconds into the game. Earl Miller is credited with the first Blackhawks goal. The Blackhawks lost the final game at the Stadium 1-0 to the Maple Leafs on April 28, 1994. Hall of Famer Mike Gartner had the only goal that night, the last scored at the Madhouse. The last Blackhawks goal at the Stadium was Jeremy Roenick’s overtime goal on April 24, 1994.

After 2,173 games, the Blackhawks went 1,113-720-340. They were awarded the Stanley Cup on home ice in 1934 and 1938. The Chicago Stadium hosted 10 Stanley Cup Finals and four NHL All-Star Games. The names of players who scored games there read like a who’s who of Hockey Hall of Famers. Players like Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Gordie Howe, Maurice Richard, Jean Beliveau, Wayne Gretzky, and Mario Lemieux are among the legions of all-time greats who played at the “Old Barn.”

The Chicago Stadium was also home of the Chicago Bulls from 1967 until 1994. Boxing legends Sugar Ray Robinson, Jake LaMotta, and Rocky Marciano had bouts there. In 1932, the Chicago Bears hosted the Portsmouth Spartans in the NFL’s first indoor playoff game. Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney, Queen, and Led Zeppelin are among the great musicians who performed there. The final event at the Chicago Stadium was a charity basketball game hosted by Bulls star Scottie Pippen.

United Center

The United Center has been the home of the Blackhawks and Bulls since 1995. The Wirtz and Reinsdorf families jointly own it, and it stands across the street from where the Chicago Stadium stood. The first event in the building was WWF SummerSlam on Aug. 29, 1994.

Because of the owners’ lockout, the Blackhawks first game at the new rink wasn’t until Jan. 25, 1995. They beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-1, with Joe Murphy scoring the first goal in the new “Madhouse.” The United Center saw many incredible moments during the 2010s, including Marian Hossa’s Game 5 heroics against the Nashville Predators in 2010. Jonathan Toews accepted the Stanley Cup at center ice in 2015, for the first championship celebration on home ice since 1938. They have gone 590-457-52-113 at the UC.

Despite being one of the NHL's older buildings, the United Center remains one of the best. It has the second-highest capacity in the league and, thanks to constant renovations and improvements, it provides a fantastic game-day experience. When the 1901 Project is completed, the United will be in the heart of a world-class entertainment district.

The No-So-Great Outdoors

The Blackhawks have hosted four outdoor games over the years. Wrigley Field was the first outdoor venue the Blackhawks played in as the home team. They played the Detroit Red Wings in the 2009 Winter Classic. It was only the second Winter Classic, and it was a huge day for the franchise, as it announced its relevance again not only in Chicago, but in the NHL, as well. Unfortunately, the Red Wings spoiled the big day with a 6-4 win after the Blackhawks jumped out to a 3-1 lead.

The Blackhawks returned to the Friendly Confines for the 2025 Winter Classic, but it was another lousy outdoor showing. The St. Louis Blues embarrassed them with a dominating 6-2 victory.

Soldier Field was the site of a memorable home game on March 1, 2014. The Blackhawks beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 in a Stadium Series game. The storylines were great, with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews taking on Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin at the prime of their careers. Then, you add the snow falling for much of the game, and you have yourself a night few will forget. This remains the Blackhawks’ only victory in an outdoor game.

In 2019, the Blackhawks played a home game in South Bend, IN, hosting the Boston Bruins at Notre Dame Stadium for the Winter Classic. Brendan Perlini’s early goal was one of the few highlights in a 4-2 loss.

Other Homes Away From Home

As mentioned earlier, the Blackhawks didn’t have a home area for the back half of the 1928-29 season. They split their remaining games at the Detroit Olympia, the Peace Bridge Arena in Fort Erie, Ontario, and the Windsor Arena in Windsor, Ontario. They went 0-2-2 at the Olympia, 1-3-1 at the Peace Bridge Arena, and won their only game in Windsor.

The 1950s were not a great era of Blackhawks hockey. Because of attendance struggles at the Chicago Stadium, they played some home games in other markets. They played three games at the Fairgrounds Coliseum in Indianapolis, IN, during the 1953-54 season. They lost all three games there against the Red Wings, Bruins, and New York Rangers. The Fairgrounds Coliseum is now known as the Corteva Coliseum and was the home of the Indy Fuel, the Blackhawks’ ECHL affiliate, until 2024.

The Blackhawks also played one game at the Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum in Omaha, NE during the 1953-54 season. They played there once for three straight seasons, going 0-1-2, with a loss to the Red Wings and ties against the Montreal Canadiens and Rangers.

The Blackhawks played 11 home games at the St Louis Arena during the 1954-55 and 1955-56 seasons. They went 2-5-4, playing the Red Wings twice and the other four Original 6 teams twice. They also played one game at the St. Paul Auditorium on Feb. 23, 1955, skating to a 3-3 draw with the Bruins.

In the early 90s, the NHL played a series of neutral-site games to test markets for potential expansion teams. On Dec. 1, 1992, they were the home team against the Los Angeles Kings at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. Tony Granato led the Kings to a 6-3 win with two goals and two assists. A month earlier, they lost to the Washington Capitals 4-1 at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, but were the road team.

On March 8, 1994, the Blackhawks were the home team at America West Arena in Phoenix, AZ, as they beat the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 3-0. Murphy scored twice, Roenick had two assists, and Ed Belfour made 31 saves for the win.

The only international game where the Blackhawks were the home team was the season opener of the historic 2009-10 season. They played a two-game series against the Florida Panthers at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland. They lost as the home team, 4-3 in a shootout, but won 4-0 as the road team the following night. They will add PSD Bank Dome in Düsseldorf, Germany, as a home rink this December when they play the Ottawa Senators in the Global Series.

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