It’s Opening Day! Jack Got His Ring, Dach’s OT GWG, Slaggert’s Sweet Skate Blades, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

Hooray for hockey! Zero more sleeps until the Blackhawks take the ice, unless you’re like the players (and me) and plan on a pregame nap before the 8:30 PM CT puck drop tonight. There were a couple games on ESPN last night but the banner goes up in Denver — in front of the Blackhawks — tonight.

  • Yes, it’s game day — the first of the year. So we have some roster nuggets this morning:

    Caleb Jones practiced in a normal jersey but isn’t there yet.
    Alex Vlasic won’t play on Wednesday. He got hurt blocking a shot. Day-to-day.
    Jarred Tinordi will play tonight.
    Connor Murphy left the ice for some repairs on Tuesday but should be okay (see below).
  • It works out really nicely for Jack Johnson that the Blackhawks are in Denver for opening night. On Monday, the Avalanche hosted a dinner for champions — where they drink out of custom wine bottles and receive boxes with jewelry inside that costs more than my car. Johnson was able to be at the Avs’ dinner and receive a gorgeous ring.
  • I took part in our annual season opening predictions at The Fourth Period. Feel free to hold me accountable for anything I got wrong or praise me for getting anything right because these things rarely work out. But here they are:
  • Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek dropped their Western Conference preview edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast on Tuesday as well. This should be on your Must Listen list for the season — these guys are plugged in and know what’s going on around the league.
  • Team hashtags with logos attached are back in the NHL this season. I’ve used #Blackhawks for years but apparently we’re also going with #ReadyToGo in Chicago this year? Note to self… but one has to wonder ready to go where exactly?
  • We got our first look at Colton Dach wearing the C for Kelowna last night, and boy did he ever make a strong impression in his first run as captain of the Rockets. How about an overtime game-winning goal?
  • I’m not saying they just do things better at Notre Dame but… how about these customized skate blades (with Landon Slaggert‘s name and number on them)? Holy $#!+ those are awesome!
  • The NCHC announced their broadcast schedule with CBS Sports Network for the coming season. Beginning Jan. 7 you’ll be able to watch Blackhawks prospects in most of their nationally televised games, which is nice. You can also subscribe to their digital platform and watch any game in the conference. As a reminder, the Blackhawks have prospects at Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud State and Denver.
  • This is a good watch for a few reasons. Obviously the Stars are in the division, so it’s good intel on a rival. But it’s also a valuable perspective on having solid depth in the AHL.
  • On Tuesday, television analyst Ray Ferraro announced he’s stepping away from his work at TSN to focus on ESPN only this season. His wife, Cammi Granato, is working in a front office and he says he’s trying to find balance between work and personal life. As a reminder: we all are. And it’s harder for some than others. The good ones try, the rare ones find it. He’s terrific at his role and we’re glad he’s sticking with ESPN.
  • Finally, everyone here at Bleacher Nation is thinking about the Steinmiller family today. With the Blackhawks’ first game tonight, ordinarily media folks would be bothering John, who is the Senior Director of Media Relations for the team. But he has more important things in his life than a hockey game right now. This is indeed heartbreaking news. RIP.
  • written by

    Tab Bamford has been writing about the Chicago Blackhawks for almost two decades. He joined Bleacher Nation as the lead Blackhawks writer in May 2022. Tab is a member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and is the author of two books about the Blackhawks: "100 Things Blackhawks Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die" (Triumph Books) and "Chicago Blackhawks: An Illustrated Timeline" (Reedy Press, 2021). Find him on Twitter/X/Instagram/Threads at @The1Tab

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