Scott Powers

CHICAGO — The end is finally near. Everyone is always more than ready for real games late in the preseason schedule. That goes for everyone, from the players to the media. The finished their home preseason schedule with a 3-2 shootout loss to the on Thursday. The game felt more like a regular-season one, but the competition and atmosphere will escalate as the regular season commences. Since the Blackhawks stopped forcing season ticket holders to purchase preseason tickets, the United Center j…

The 2023-24 NHL season kicks off Oct. 10. The Athletic has their complete , including a wacky look at the . Power-play production can make or break your fantasy hockey season. It’s where , and lead the league, helping make a probable point-per-game player and high-round draft pick in fantasy leagues. It’s the reason and not led the in points one year ago. will boost ’s numbers, should dazzle early in Chicago, and the list goes on and on. Advertisement The power play is also where major s…

The Athletic has live coverage of ’s debut and the matchup doesn’t dismiss questions often. If you’ve seen any of his countless interviews since the NHL Draft Lottery, you know he’s quite polite. He thoughtfully answers almost everything. But he paused when he was asked to compare what shooting adjustments he might have to make as an rookie, considering even had to alter his shot early in his pro career. Advertisement “You think he’s changed his shot?” responded. Matthews actually changed it…

Can the repeat as Stanley Cup champions? Or will the be back on top in the West? Will the Hurricanes finally ascend in the East? After kicking off The Athletic Monday with , today we look at team expectations. Who makes the playoffs? Who are the potential dark horses? Which fan base is bound for disappointment? Advertisement To pick apart the results of our polling, provide context and give us a healthy critique, we again have senior national writer Sean Gentille, national writer Hailey Salvia…

made his highly anticipated debut in the Chicago Blackhawks’ 4-2 comeback win over the on Tuesday at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. Here’s what you need to know: The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft started the game on ’s top line, centering and . He opposite , the Penguins legend and No. 1 pick in 2005. , 18, recorded his first NHL point via a secondary assist on a goal by Donato in the second period and finished with a team-high five shots. After trailing 2-1 entering the third period, C…

The Athletic ’s NHL style power rankings have returned for the 2023-24 season. Julian McKenzie and Scott Powers take over the rankings this season. McKenzie covers the , while Powers covers the . We both love shoes and style. By the time you get to read this, one of us probably will be scrolling through StockX looking for the next pair of shoes or shirts to add to our wardrobe. Advertisement We’ve taken notice of how hockey players are slowly starting to take chances when it comes to their own s…

It’s early. Very early. teams have only played between three and five games in the 2023-24 season to this point. Still, that’s enough to make an early impression of how this season and standings could shape up. Whether it’s a star player’s resurgence or the solution to a hole in the lineup, there is plenty to be learned from a team’s first handful of games. Advertisement This week, The Athletic asked its NHL staff for one thing they’ve learned about each team so far. Here’s what they said. The r…

forward is considered week to week with a left shoulder injury, coach Luke Richardson said. Here’s what you need to know: Hall first sustained the shoulder injury when he was hit by defenseman on Oct. 12. Hall, who plays on Chicago’s first line with , reaggravated the injury on Oct. 21 against the . He did not practice Monday. In five games this season, the left winger has recorded two assists. Hall’s injury timeline When Hall originally injured his left shoulder, the Blackhawks thought he wa…

It would have been easy to assume a handful of Edmonton construction workers were driving into Commonwealth Stadium on the afternoon of last week’s Heritage Classic to put together the final touches of the outdoor game that reportedly hosted more than 55,000 people. Utility terrain vehicles didn’t look out of place on the stadium grounds. Advertisement What was odd, however, was the number of the individuals wearing dark-blue uniforms with highlighter-yellow stripes — enough to field an entire…

A second player has filed a lawsuit against the saying the team failed to act during the 2010 playoffs when informed of sexual assault allegations against former video coach Brad Aldrich. The lawsuit, filed under the name “John Doe,” alleged that Aldrich “groomed, harassed, threatened and assaulted” the player, who had previously been identified in a Jenner & Block report as “Black Ace 1.” Black Ace is a term for a prospect who joins the team for a playoff run but doesn’t play. Advertisement Th…