Top Blackhawks games of the 2025-2026 season

While the Chicago Blackhawks finished last yet again, there remains room for optimism about the team. We saw steps made by young stars Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar. Recent draft picks also impressed upon their arrival to the team, including Oliver Moore, Nick Lardis, and Anton Frondell. There are still many steps these young players must take, along with some major free-agent signings or trades this offseason. Hopefully, some of these games from the past year are a glimpse of what could be possible in the future.

Blackhawks 8, Blues 3 (10/15/25)

The Blackhawks entered this game at 1-2-1 and were on national television for the first time all year. The teams traded goals in the first period, ending the frame tied at two. Lukas Reichel arguably had his best game in a Blackhawks sweater, notching two goals early and adding an assist. This eventually was all for nothing as he was traded to Vancouver a couple of weeks later. Frank Nazar scored one of my favorite goals of the year as he celebrated while both teams were in a scrum in the goalie's crease.

Chicago continued its offensive onslaught by making the Blues pull starting goaltender Joel Hofer. They then would pull their backup goalie, Jordan Binnington, after he surrendered a goal to bring Hofer back into the game. Connor Bedard would add three assists as Ryan Greene, who emerged as the Blackhawks' most pleasant surprise, scored his first career goal in this game.

Blackhawks 2, Jets 0 (1/19/26)

Winning this game took a backseat to the return of former Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews. This was Toews's first game back at the United Center since he left the team in 2023. He received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd for over four minutes as the fans thanked him for his time with the franchise.

Once the game actually took place, the Blackhawks played stellar defense and used one of Spencer Knight's best games of the year to blank the Jets. This game marked Knight’s third shutout of the season and the eighth of his career. Jason Dickinson scored a goal in the second period, while Connor Bedard added an empty net goal to seal the win for the Blackhawks.

Blackhawks 5, Sharks 2 (4/15/26)

The Blackhawks closed out the season, entering the final game with no playoff implications, as the Sharks were eliminated from playoff contention. After trading away their veteran leadership core of Nick Foligno, Jason Dickinson, and Connor Murphy, a new, younger core began its time in Chicago. With this youth came a good amount of growing pains, especially on the defensive end of the ice.

Every Sharks/Blackhawks matchup has been and will be placed under a microscope as the two first overall picks, Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard, face off. In this game, the Blackhawks came out with purpose and a hunger to close the year on a win. They have struggled with shot suppression all year and finished 29th in the league. However, in game 82, they surrendered only 17 shots on goal as Spencer Knight and the Blackhawks overcame a two-goal deficit.

All five goals scored by the Blackhawks came from players who are 25 or younger. Louis Crevier added two to his total for the year as he was a pleasant surprise on the offensive end of the ice. Nick Lardis also scored his 10th goal of the season as he provided the team with some offense as soon as he was called up from Rockford. He is anticipated to be in the top six forwards for the team next year. Head coach Jeff Blashill was extremely pleased with this performance as he looks to build on it heading into the future.

At the end of the year press conferences, the Blackhawks front office said the time to win begins now. Much of this success will depend on how this young team grows together. General manager Kyle Davidson just received a multi-year extension and is now pressured to advance this rebuild into more wins and playoff contention. Time will tell whether next year is just another bottom-three finish or whether the team takes tangible steps toward becoming a winning franchise again.

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