The strange Opening Night trend from Patrick Kane's first Blackhawks stint

Patrick Kane played with the Chicago Blackhawks from Oct. 4, 2007 until Feb. 22, 2023, appearing in 16 Opening Night games with the Original Six franchise. Despite all the points, awards, and three Stanley Cup championships he collected during his first stint in Chicago, Kane’s Blackhawks were pretty bad at beginning the regular season on a winning note. 

Blackhawks struggled on Opening Night during Kane's first stint

In Kane’s first NHL game against the Minnesota Wild, the Blackhawks were shut out 1-0. The following year at Madison Square Garden, Chicago lost again 4-2 to the New York Rangers, before dropping the first game of the 2009-10 season to the Florida Panthers in a shootout 4-3 at the United Center. Still, the Blackhawks went on to win the Stanley Cup that season. 

As the reigning champions, Chicago lost their first game of the 2010-11 season to the Colorado Avalanche 4-3  in overtime. Their losing ways continued into the next season, when they dropped their opener to the Dallas Stars, 2-1. 

Finally, in Kane’s sixth season (2012-13), the Blackhawks secured an Opening Night victory by defeating the champion Los Angeles Kings 5-2, ruining their banner-raising evening. A mere nine months later, Chicago defeated the Washington Capitals 6-4 to kick off their title defense for the 2013-14 season. 

On the road to begin the 2014-15 campaign, the Blackhawks extended their Opening Night win streak to three games, edging the Stars 3-2 in a shootout. However, the good times ended a year later, when the visiting Rangers defeated Chicago 3-2 to kick off the 2015-16 season. The St. Louis Blues extended Chicago's misery with a 5-2 victory to open the 2016-17 season.

At the start of the 2017-18 season, the Blackhawks beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 10-1 to open their season, their largest Opening Night margin of victory this century. Chicago then earned its final Opening Night victory of the Kane era with a 4-3 overtime win over the Ottawa Senators. 

Over Kane's final four Opening Nights with the Blackhawks, Chicago failed to win once, falling to Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, and Colorado twice.

All in all, in 16 Opening Night games, Kane scored seven goals with no game-winners, but added 12 assists for 19 points. In 2026, can he recapture some of his old magic and notch his 20th point?

Connor Bedard Era hasn't changed the trend

Former first overall pick Connor Bedard, who was recently named team captain, made his NHL debut on Oct. 10, 2023, against the Penguins. The Blackhawks ended their lengthy losing streak by defeating them 4-2. However, in 2024, Chicago lost to the Utah Hockey Club 5-2 in its first official game at the Delta Center. Finally, last season, at Amerant Bank Arena, where the Blackhawks watched the Panthers raise their Stanley Cup banner, they lost 3-2, bringing the club’s record to 1-2 with Bedard’s NHL debut.

Unfortunately, Chicago fans will have to wait a few more weeks to see what kind of magic Kane and Bedard can create, while the latter continues to work his way back from a shoulder injury. Even though winning the first game of the season isn’t as important to the team’s win total at the end of the year, getting that first victory out of the way can help set the tone. If history is any indication, an Opening Night loss hasn't necessarily doomed the Blackhawks. Some of the most successful teams of the salary-cap era recovered quickly after dropping their season opener.

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