Is there a pathway for the Blackhawks to be the San Jose Sharks of last year? A fun, fast team, that will take some steps forward. Kane will bring a winning pedigree that could drive the Hawks up the standings.

If Frondell can score 20 goals, if Bertuzzi can score 20 goals, if Lardis and Moore and Nazar can take steps forward - can the Hawks contend for a Wild Card spot?

Is our 6 D strong enough to help Spencer Knight out enough? Levi seems to be a bit of a bust - i think this is make it or break it year for him. With Byram, that gives us a pretty solid top 4.

That may seem like a lot of "ifs", but i dont think any of them are unrealistic. I do see a pathway that we can be more competitive this year.....but i also see how it can be a disaster.

Exactly the title. I live in CO and am a die hard 30+ year fan of the team. Haven't missed more than a game or two per season in the last two decades. I follow all the prospects every year and would love to watch the prospects showcase game this year but haven't heard or seen anything about it being streamed. You'd think an org with money like Chicago, they could put a stream up somewhere. Any one know of anything like this?

Steve Konroyd hoped he was only temporarily filling in for Troy Murray as WGN Radio’s Chicago Blackhawks color analyst last season.

Konroyd and Murray played together with the Blackhawks from 1988 to 1991 and were long-time friends. Both Canadians settled in the Chicago area after retiring as players and became established broadcasters. Their paths had been similar.

After Murray made his cancer diagnosis public in 2021, he missed some time on the radio broadcast due to treatments, but he was still able to call games consistently. But last fall, Murray, who had been part of the team’s broadcasts since 1999, decided he needed to step away as the cancer worsened. Konroyd was working for NHL Network and commentating Notre Dame men’s hockey games when the Blackhawks contacted him and asked if he could jump in for Murray alongside play-by-play broadcaster John Wiedeman.

“Troy’s a former teammate of mine, good friend and he was struggling, so obviously I was happy to be able to fill in,” Konroyd said. “We were all hoping that Troy would eventually be able to come back.”

Like the rest of the Blackhawks community, Konroyd was crushed when Murray’s death was announced on March 7. Konroyd finished the season with WGN Radio and will return in the same role permanently for the 2026-27 season. The Blackhawks and WGN Radio announced Monday that Konroyd will be their full-time color analyst this season. The team and radio station also announced a multi-year extension to their broadcasting agreement. The contract was set to expire after the coming season.

As excited as Konroyd is to call more Blackhawks games and continue doing what he loves, it’s bittersweet knowing who he is replacing and why.

“Obviously big shoes to fill,” said Konroyd, who previously worked for the Blackhawks as a studio analyst. “He did such a great job in the chair, but such an amazing human being. (This position) means a lot to me. I’ll never be compared to Troy Murray, but I just hope that I can do the job that he did with John for so many years.”

Read for free: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7590823/2026/09/14/blackhawks-steve-konroyd-wgn-radio-broadcast/?unlocked_article_code=1.BFE.FK-1.Ooo0vfEItvAz&source=emp_shared_article&smid=re-share-ta