The Chicago Blackhawks start the 2025–26 NHL season on Tuesday with renewed hope and growing expectations surrounding young superstar Connor Bedard. After flashes of brilliance during his first two seasons, Bedard now steps into a leadership role as the face of a rebuilding franchise looking to turn progress into consistency.
This season’s schedule tests the Blackhawks early and often, featuring marquee matchups, demanding road stretches, and plenty of opportunities to measure growth against elite competition.
October sets the tone
Chicago opens its season on the road in Florida on October 7 before facing another tough opponent in Boston just two days later. The home opener comes on October 11 against Montreal, followed by an early matchup with Utah on October 13 as the Blackhawks return to the United Center.
A divisional game at St. Louis on October 15 adds intensity, while matchups with Vancouver, Anaheim, and Los Angeles round out a busy start. The month closes with a road swing to Tampa Bay and Winnipeg, putting early travel miles on a young team.
November brings a western challenge
November sends the Blackhawks on a difficult Western Canada trip, facing Edmonton, Seattle, Vancouver, and Calgary across seven days. Back home, Chicago will welcome top Eastern teams like Toronto and New Jersey before returning to face Calgary and Seattle again.
A holiday-week stretch includes home dates with Minnesota and Nashville, capped by Anaheim’s visit to Chicago on November 30. By month’s end, the Blackhawks will have played a balanced mix of divisional and cross-conference games, a key early test for endurance.
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December features big-name opponents
The Blackhawks’ December slate mixes marquee matchups with long travel. They open with a three-game California road trip (Vegas, Los Angeles, Anaheim) followed by home action against the Rangers on December 10. Other highlights include hosting Detroit on December 13 and Philadelphia on December 23.
Chicago faces tough back-to-back road games late in the month at Dallas and St. Louis before returning home for contests against Pittsburgh and the Rangers to close out 2025.
January is filled with home opportunities
The new year begins with Dallas visiting on January 1, followed by a long stretch of games at the United Center. Matchups against Vegas, St. Louis, Washington, Edmonton, and Boston highlight a competitive midseason run.
January also includes an important divisional trip through Nashville and Minnesota and closes with Columbus and San Jose at home, a valuable window to collect points before February’s lighter schedule.
February brings short road tests
The Blackhawks’ February schedule is brief but challenging, with road games at Columbus, Nashville, and Colorado before heading to Utah on March 1. A home matchup with San Jose on February 2 breaks up the travel before the Olympic break provides much-needed rest.
March and April could decide season
March will be critical, featuring heavy divisional play and extended Western travel. Chicago visits Utah, Vegas, and Dallas while hosting Vancouver, Colorado, and Nashville. Late March brings road trips to New York, Philadelphia, and New Jersey, a stretch that could determine playoff positioning or momentum for the offseason.
The season wraps up with a mix of home and away matchups, including a three-game homestand to end April with Carolina, St. Louis, and San Jose visiting Chicago. The final road game comes April 13 in Chicago’s meeting with Buffalo.
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