It seems like only yesterday that the Chicago Blackhawks took home their second Stanley Cup championship in four seasons, but despite the short time frame since their triumph, Monday represents another stepping stone toward their title defense.
That’s because the team will put single game tickets on sale at 10 a.m. Monday. The only exception to that will be their game on March 1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, which will have tickets sold through the NHL and will go on sale at a later date.
For those of you who are planning on hopping on Ticketmaster.com or calling in to purchase seats, there are five games that are worth gunning for seats to attend.
October 1 vs. Washington Capitals
Obviously, an opportunity to see the player who is the defending NHL MVP is one worth taking, but Alex Ovechkin’s trip to the United Center isn’t the main attraction of this game.
That’s because the Hawks will be raising their championship banners to the rafters of their arena that evening, and if the ceremony is anything like the 2010 edition, it will be a sight that those in attendance will remember for the rest of their lives.
For those of you who need a refresher on that day, we have you covered:
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December 11 vs. Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers were the team that the Hawks vanquished in the 2010 Cup Final, but the possibility of seeing a Corey Crawford vs. Ray Emery goaltending matchup is certainly an intriguing one.
January 19 vs. Boston Bruins
One of the biggest benefits of the NHL’s new scheduling structure is that all 29 teams will find their way to the UC this season to play against the Hawks, and that means that they will get to have a rematch with the team they defeated for the Cup back in June.
In addition to that storyline, the odds are strong that the Bruins will be one of the prime contenders to win the Eastern Conference title again, and it will be a good test of the Hawks’ ability to compete for a championship towards the halfway point of the season.
January 26 vs. Winnipeg Jets
A matchup against new divisional rival Winnipeg may not seem at first blush to be a must-see game for Hawks fans, but don’t dismiss it so quickly.
That’s because the Hawks won’t play another game at the United Center until March 4th, when they play the Colorado Avalanche. In the intervening 37 days between those two contests, the Hawks will embark on a seven game road trip and will compete in Sochi in the Winter Olympics. Needless to say, it will be odd to see hockey leave the Madhouse for that long.
March 16 vs. Detroit Red Wings
The only regular season tilt between the Hawks and the Red Wings, this game is going to sell out very quickly. Will the resentment that built up between the two teams during their epic seven game playoff series carry over to this contest?
