The Chicago Blackhawks have released their schedule for the 2026-27 season, which is a slate of 84 games, up from 82. The full schedule came out on Thursday after every team announced its home opener on Wednesday. 

The Blackhawks will visit every building in the NHL at least once, and every team will come to the United Center at least once. From late September to early April, these 84 games will see the Blackhawks attempt to take a step in their rebuild. 

Every game will be something special in its own way, but some games stick out more than others when it comes to the "must-see" mentality. These are the five to circle right away on the calendar: 

September 29th - @ Vegas Golden Knights

The Chicago Blackhawks will open their season on the road with a match against the Vegas Golden Knights, who happen to be the reigning Western Conference Champions. 

Right off the bat, the Blackhawks have as tough a test as they will face. The Golden Knights will kick off their 10th season in the NHL with this game, and the Blackhawks will be hoping to catch them at a vulnerable time to kick off their 101st season with a win. 

October 6th - vs St. Louis Blues

After playing Vegas, the Blackhawks have two more road games against the Utah Mammoth and Buffalo Sabres before coming home to face the St. Louis Blues in their home opener on October 6th. 

It is always a special time for the players, organization, and fanbase to return to the United Center for a fresh season, which is why this game is worth circling on the calendar. 

October 10th - vs Carolina Hurricanes

On October 10th, the Chicago Blackhawks will welcome the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes to the United Center for their first and only visit. Like Vegas, the team that Carolina defeated in the Final, this is a great test for the young Blackhawks early in the season. All of the games up to this point will be played without Connor Bedard. 

December 18th/20th - vs Ottawa Senators in Germany

The Chicago Blackhawks will face the Ottawa Senators for two games in Germany this season as part of the NHL Global Series. This initiative allows fans from across the world to see NHL hockey in person, and the Blackhawks are one of the teams this year. Connor Bedard should be back by this point. 

January 30th - @ San Jose Sharks

The last game for the Chicago Blackhawks before their 10-day break for the All-Star Game will be in Northern California against the San Jose Sharks. This will be Connor Bedard's first meeting of the season with his friend and player rival Macklin Celebrini. 

The funny thing is that their return game following the break is also against the Sharks in San Jose. Then, later in the season on March 16th, the Sharks will make their one trip to the United Center.

Before long, this is going to be a premier rivalry in the Western Conference because both teams are on the come-up at the same time, and it will be a treat to witness the matchup in 2026-27. 

Potential For More

All of these are relatively early in the season. If there is going to be more intrigue later in the campaign, it would likely mean that the Blackhawks were having a good season, causing these games to be more exciting. If people are circling more games on their calendar late in the year, that means the team (or someone on the team) is doing big things. 

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