two more years of S H O W T I M E pic.twitter.com/ZTc6Xhi3ef

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) July 23, 2026

The 37-year-old forward spent the past three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and had 57 points (16 goals, 41 assists) in 67 games last season. Kane played the first 16 years of his career with the Blackhawks and won the Stanley Cup three times with the team in 2010, 2013 and 2015, amassing 1,357 points (498 goals, 859 assists).

Kane has 1,400 total points (508 goals, 892 assists) in 1,369 regular-season games for the Red Wings, New York Rangers and Blackhawks, scoring his 500th NHL goal on Jan. 8. He also broke Mike Modano’s record for points by a U.S.-born player when he scored his 1,375th on Jan. 29.

After being selected first overall by the Blackhawks in 2007, Kane also won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2007-08.

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Kane has 138 points (53 goals, 85 assists) in 143 games played. He won the Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion, the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoffs MVP in 2013 and the Ted Lindsay Award as MVP chosen by the NHL Players’ Association in 2015-16.

After his contract expired with Detroit on July 1, it was reported that the Buffalo, New York, native was deciding between returning to Chicago and his hometown Buffalo Sabres. After signing his five-year extension earlier in the week, Connor Bedard was asked about a possible reunion with Kane and the Blackhawks and said:

“I don’t know what I can say to persuade his decision, but obviously we’d all be so excited to have player like that but also a guy like that. I can’t imagine his first game back at the (United Center with the Blackhawks), the reaction he’d get and how much juice that would bring to not only our team but our fans, as well. That would be incredible to play with him and learn from him.”

Analysis

The Blackhawks and the fanbase will definitely get an early-season boost from the return, but fans must understand that Kane is not the same player he was when he left for the Rangers at the trade deadline in 2023. He will help sell more jerseys and distract people from the Bedard absence.

On the ice, he has settled in as a power-play specialist and emotional leader. It is a popular practice by fans to compare his 57 points last season to the players on the Blackhawks, but it is important to note that he was playing on the power play with Dylan Larkin, Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat. Other than Bedard, Kane will not have that level of teammate with him on the Blackhawks power play.

That said, he can step in and take some of the pressure off Bedard and the rest of the young players, so they can develop into the players that General Manager Kyle Davidson expects them to become. It will be interesting to see if the Blackhawks name Bedard team captain when he returns, or if they give the assistant captainship to both Bedard and Kane.

The post BREAKING: Blackhawks sign Patrick Kane to two-year deal appeared first on The Rink.

The players that the organization selects will be listed below, with links to their prospect profiles and all their vital stats.

2026 Blackhawks NHL Entry Draft

Trades made leading up to and during the draft:

Date	Outgoing Player/Pick	Opposite Team	Player/Pick Received
6/23/26	Louis Crevier, 1st round pick (#4) in 2026 and 2nd round pick (#45)		Bowen Byram, Jordan Greenway
6/26/26	Andre Burakovsky		2027 6th Round Pick
6/27/26	37th and 119th pink in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft		35th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft

Trade Analysis

The Chicago Blackhawks acquire Bowen Byram and Jordan Greenway from the Buffalo Sabres for a 2026 1st round pick (#4), a 2026 2nd round pick (NYI, #45) and Louis Crevier

The post Chicago Blackhawks 2026 Upper Deck NHL Entry Draft Tracker appeared first on The Rink.

Check out Rink prospect guru Jimmy O’Malley and Rink staffers for a LIVE reaction podcast:

The players that the organization selects will be listed below, with links to their prospect profiles and all their vital stats.

2025 Blackhawks NHL Entry Draft

Chicago Blackhawks Draft Picks

Trades made leading to and during the draft:

Date	Outgoing Player/Pick	Opposite Team	Player/Pick Received
6/13/25	Victor Soderstrom		Ryan Mast and a 2025 7th round pick
6/21/25	Joe Veleno		Andre Burakovsky
7/1/25	2026 sixth-round pick		Sam Lafferty

Trade Analysis

• The Boston Bruins acquired Victor Soderstrom from the Chicago Blackhawks for Ryan Mast and a 2025 7th round pick

The Boston Bruins acquired Victor Soderstrom from the Chicago Blackhawks for Ryan Mast and a 2025 7th round pick

• The Chicago Blackhawks acquired forward Andre Burakovsky from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for forward Joe Veleno

The Chicago Blackhawks acquired Andre Burakovsky from the Seattle Kraken for Joseph Veleno

• The Chicago Blackhawks acquired a 2025 1st round pick (#29) from the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2025 2nd round pick (#34), a 2025 2nd round pick (#62), a 2027 5th round pick

The Chicago Blackhawks acquired a 2025 1st round pick (#29) from the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2025 2nd round pick (#34), a 2025 2nd round pick (#62), a 2027 5th round pick

The post Chicago Blackhawks 2025 Upper Deck NHL Entry Draft Tracker appeared first on The Rink.

The players that the organization select will be listed below, with links to their prospect profiles and all their vital stats.

Trades made leading to and during the draft:

Date	Outgoing Player/Pick	Opposite Team	Player/Pick Received
5/24/2024	2024 1st round pick (#20), 2024 2nd round pick (#54), and a 2024 2nd round pick (#61)		2024 1st round pick (#18) and 2024 2nd round pick (#50)
6/26/24	2027 fourth round pick		Ilya Mikheyev (15% rretained), Sam Lafferty, and a 2027 2nd round pick
6/28/24	2024 2nd round pick (#34), and a 2024 2nd round pick (#50)		2024 1st round pick (#27) - Marek Vanacker
6/29/24	2024 3rd round pick (#92)		2025 3rd round pick

Trade Analysis

• The Chicago Blackhawks acquired a 2024 1st round pick (#18) and 2024 2nd round pick (#50) from the New York Islanders for a 2024 1st round pick (#20), 2024 2nd round pick (#54), and a 2024 2nd round pick (#61)
• The Chicago Blackhawks acquired Ilya Mikheyev (15% retained), Sam Lafferty, and a 2027 2nd round pick from the Vancouver Canucks for a 2027 4th round pick
• The Chicago Blackhawks acquired a 2024 1st round pick (#27) from the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2024 2nd round pick (#34) and 2024 2nd round pick (#50)

The Chicago Blackhawks acquired a 2024 1st round pick (#27) from the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2024 2nd round pick (#34) and 2024 2nd round pick (#50)

The post Chicago Blackhawks 2024 NHL Entry Draft Tracker appeared first on The Rink.

Here are all 32 Fanatics Authentic Pro home jerseys for the 2024-25 #NHL season. pic.twitter.com/r2XCli75BO

— icethetics (@icethetics) June 26, 2024

Changes to on-ice jersey

We will not see a significant difference in the product on the ice from what we are already used to. Some teams have changed their jerseys already. But most of the league is going to stay the same. There are a few physical changes to every jersey that will take place:

— An additional layer of fabric inside the lower sleeve to enhance uniform durability intended to reduce material wear from sustained friction against the boards. This enhancement directly resulted from feedback from NHL players and equipment managers.

— New shoulder fabrics replacing the debossed pattern fabric used on the shoulders of the prior NHL jersey.

— A new NHL Shield execution on the front neck of the jersey which includes a special hologram finish.

— Fanatics branding embroidered on the back neck of jerseys.

Here is the view of the #Avs on-ice #Fanatics jersey from the video that Fanatics posted. Not much appears to have changed in looks other than the "dimples" are now gone from the shoulders. #GoAvsGo    @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/480f1wbPvZ

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) June 26, 2024

What will be available?

In previous years, the only way to get an official on-ice jersey was if the team sold them. Now to buy the same product that is being worn by the players and sold in stores. Adidas had made the same claim but ran into a lawsuit over it. Here are the levels of jerseys that fans can expect to see on shelves starting September:

— Authentic Pro: This will be the same jersey that the players wear on the ice. This will also be the most expensive. This will retail at $400.

— Premium: This jersey will be same as what Adidas sells in stores right now. It still has embroidered crests and patches, a fighting strap, but lacks some details of the Authentic Pro. This will retail for $180-$230.

— Breakaway: For Fanatics jerseys, the Breakaway style is what most fans are familiar with. They are lightweight and fit more like a t-shirt. The patches will be sublimated and lack embroidery. It will retail for $135-$175.

— Practice Jersey: The redesigned practice jersey will be available to purchase. The retail price is still to be determined.

Our Authentic Pro @NHL On-Ice Uniforms are here. Made in Canada, by the same people who have been making NHL jerseys for almost five decades. 

by the legendary voice of hockey, Doc Emrick. pic.twitter.com/7sGiyGPXdQ

— Fanatics (@Fanatics) June 26, 2024

What does the league think?

The players and equipment managers around the league played a role in designing the new jerseys. The front crest and sleeves were two things that were changed at their request. “Fanatics did a great job designing these jerseys,” Austin Matthews said. “They feel comfortable and look breathable, which is important during games. Any little detail that can help us perform at our best makes a difference.” Even the young rookies think they look good. “The Fanatics jersey looks good,” Connor Bedard said. “I like that there is not a lot of change from the older version, and I also like the design of the new practice jersey.”

Here’s a closer look at the new @Fanatics NHL Authentic Pro #Blackhawks Jersey. pic.twitter.com/xmduWzsfc7

— CHGO Blackhawks (@CHGO_Blackhawks) June 26, 2024

Conclusion

The real debut will happen this week at the NHL Entry Draft on Friday night. I am sure there will be some feedback from both fans and players then. The same factory that has been producing the NHL’s jerseys in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, is still making the jerseys. So, this will definitely be something that we all will want to monitor as the summer progresses. But, I am trying to give Fanatics the benefit of the doubt that they will not make too many changes.

The post What to expect from the new Fanatics NHL jerseys appeared first on The Rink.

The deal runs through the 2029–30 season and carries a $4.6 million salary cap hit, for a total of $27.6 million. Years five and six of the deal include a 10-team no-trade list.

The pending restricted free agent played only 21 NHL contests prior to this season, but solidified himself as the team’s most reliable defender in a season where there were few bright spots. While it is still early in his career, the 22-year-old Wilmette, Illinois, native ended the season with top-10 defensive metrics in almost all categories. Such production would have had him in the running for the Calder Trophy with teammate Connor Bedard, if he had played just 10 less games during the 2021–22 season, eclipsing Minnesota Wild golden boy Brock Faber significantly in a number of analytical metrics.

THE HOMETOWN KID

Alex Vlasic is staying, read all about it https://t.co/4q2vuJq5OE pic.twitter.com/TN3JgWzCid

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 25, 2024

“Alex made enormous strides this year and proved he is a legitimate top-four defenseman in the NHL,” said Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson in a press release. “In his first full season in the NHL, Alex established himself as an important piece of our young core, and we’re excited to have him with us for the next six years.”

Prior to this season, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound blueliner played 56 regular season and six playoff contests with the Rockford IceHogs during the 2022–23 season. During his time in Rockford, he posted 19 regular season points (two goals, 17 assists) and five playoff assists. Vlasic was originally drafted in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Blackhawks and won a bronze medal in 2019 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship.

Alex Vlasic was incredible defensively this year on a bad Hawks team — while playing some of the toughest minutes in the league.
While $4.6M is fair for what he is now, a deal that covers his entire prime under a rising cap could make this one of the league’s best contracts. pic.twitter.com/MR8GFZjP5d

— dom (@domluszczyszyn) April 25, 2024

Vlasic will be suiting up for the United States at the upcoming World Championships, where he will also be joined by fellow Blackhawks rearguard Seth Jones.

Analysis

Reporters and fans alike had been speculating what Vlasic’s contract might look like in recent weeks, but few, if any, would have foreseen the contract coming in with this combination of term and value. Many felt this AAV would have been realistic on a shorter-term bridge deal, with a longer-term deal holding a higher value. For the Blackhawks to lock up Vlasic for six years at an incredibly team-friendly cap hit of $4.6 million is excellent work by Davidson.

As Luszczyszyn noted in his tweet linked above, that dollar value is an accurate value for Vlasic at current, but will provide the team with an average value savings of $3 million per season through the duration of the contract. To lock in Vlasic for six years at that figure is the type of deal that will allow the Blackhawks to maximize their money once the team is back in the playoffs, similarly to how Duncan Keith’s bargain contract helped construct the Cup-era teams. While this contract looks good today, it could very well prove to be a pivotal part in a return to glory for the Blackhawks in the not-too-distant future.

The post BREAKING: Blackhawks sign Alex Vlasic to six-year contract appeared first on The Rink.

We interrupt the game in progress to inform you.. WE HAVE A TRADE pic.twitter.com/C7qotFudb0

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 29, 2023

Davidson acquired forward 26-year-old Anthony Beauvillier from the Canucks for a future fifth-round draft pick. Beauvillier comes with a cap hit of $4.15 million, which the Blackhawks can easily absorb, and is signed through the end of the 2023–24 season. He was acquired by Vancouver with Aatu Raty and a conditional 2023 first-round pick from the New York Islanders for Bo Horvat.

Beauvillier has played 22 games for the Canucks and has eight points (two goals, six assists). This move is just another Davidson move where he victimized a cap-strapped team by weaponizing his plethora of cap space.

Anthony Beauvillier, acquired by CHI, is a bottom six winger. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/0d6dgnJZBq

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) November 29, 2023

The post BREAKING: Blackhawks acquire Anthony Beauvillier appeared first on The Rink.

After a Thanksgiving full of confusion and speculation, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that after an internal investigation, Corey Perry has been placed on unconditional waivers with the intention of terminating his contract following what the team calls “conduct that is unacceptable, and in violation of both the terms of his Standard Player’s Contract and the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments.”

Following the statement, Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson gave an emotional press conference where he dispelled the “frankly disgusting” rumors circulating online. He stated that the incident “does not involve any players or their families.”

Kyle Davidson, @NHLBlackhawks GM, addresses the rumors surrounding Corey Perry’s dismissal from the team. Calls the speculation “disgusting.” (via NBC Sports Chicago) pic.twitter.com/pVZknOGRHh

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) November 28, 2023

Davidson followed that up by saying, “Over the last 24 hours, what’s gone on has been very disturbing. I feel like I’m wearing it; I’m carrying that. It’s tough to see,” and finished by saying that that he would not go into any further detail regarding the matter.

Perry was traded to the Blackhawks on June 29, 2023, for a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and signed a one-year, $4 million contract the next day.

The post BREAKING: Blackhawks put Corey Perry on waivers appeared first on The Rink.

Death, taxes and Taylor Hall getting hurt. #Blackhawks https://t.co/aY8BvU1dWY

— Puckin Hostile (@PuckinHostile.bsky.social) (@PuckinHostile) November 23, 2023

Hall was acquired with Nick Foligno from the Boston Bruins for Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula on July 26 to play with Blackhawks first overall pick Connor Bedard. This is the second injury he has had this season, the first being a shoulder injury suffered on Oct. 11 against his former team, the Boston Bruins.

This morning, the Blackhawks announced that Hall would not return this season, and that forward Andreas Athanisiou was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 9. As a result, the Blackhawks recalled forwards Joey Anderson and Cole Guttman from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League.

The Blackhawks will face the Toronto Maple Leafs in a matinee game tomorrow at the United Center. The puck drop is scheduled for 1 p.m. CST.

The post BREAKING: Taylor Hall to have knee surgery, out for the season appeared first on The Rink.