CHICAGO (AP) — Six Stanley Cup titles. Eight retired numbers for nine players, names like Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Tony Esposito. A century full of iconic moments.
That rich history of the Chicago Blackhawks means something to Nick Foligno.
“I don’t think we talk about it enough as players. I think sometimes you’re so in the moment,” said Foligno, who became the 35th captain of the Original Six team in September 2024. “But we’re all fans of this game and what’s come before us.
“I think for us to be able to celebrate a 100th year and really see the history of this franchise, it’s humbling in a lot of ways.”
Kicking off the home schedule for their centennial season, the Blackhawks threw a bigger-than-usual party on Madison Street on Saturday. Hall of Famers Chris Chelios, Denis Savard and Jeremy Roenick joined a long list of alums who walked the red carpet with the current players ahead of the team’s 3-2 loss to Montreal.
The Blackhawks unveiled a centennial banner in the rafters at the United Center, and Roenick and longtime TV announcer Pat Foley were named team ambassadors, joining Chelios, Savard and Troy Murray.
“It’s such a great franchise, a storied franchise,” said Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, who turned 20 in July. “And we’re all so lucky and blessed to be playing here, being a part of that, and living in Chicago. We feel that every day and it’s great to get to celebrate that.”
The Blackhawks are planning to highlight different eras of the team’s history throughout the season. But there hasn’t been very much to celebrate in recent years.
Chicago went 25-46-11 last season, finishing last in the Central Division and No. 31 overall in the NHL for the second straight year. The team has made just one postseason appearance since 2017, and that was the expanded playoff format after the 2020 season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Defenseman Connor Murphy, who has been with the Blackhawks since the 2017-18 season, said he has enjoyed getting to know some of the franchise’s retired players over the years.
“You get greedy and want the success that a lot of the guys had in some of the eras, but you also are super grateful to try to follow in their footsteps,” Murphy said.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
By JAY COHEN
AP Sports Writer
