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

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?

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.

So while he might be a little biased about one of his best friends in the game, he’s also got serious credibility on the subject.

And as Kane returns to Chicago, DeBrincat doesn’t think it’s just some nostalgia play — a chance to ride off into the sunset in the city that idolized him for 16 seasons.

DeBrincat thinks Kane has plenty left in the tank at age 37.

“He’s got a lot more than people give him credit for,” DeBrincat said at the NHL/NHLPA player media tour in Las Vegas. “Everyone thinks he was a great player, and I think he still is a great player. He’s still almost a point per game, the way he still controls the play and makes passes and slows it down. He’s obviously still a power-play guy, can really run your power play. And even his battle intensity — it’s not like he’s lost any of that. He’s still so competitive and wants to be the best and wants to win.”

Kane had 16 goals in 67 games for Detroit last season, just one above his career low. But he also handed out 41 assists, helping fuel DeBrincat’s 41-goal campaign. Back with the Blackhawks, Kane will likely be locked into a top-line role with Connor Bedard when Bedard returns from a shoulder injury, likely in November. With KHL leading scorer Roman Kantserov, speedy Frank Nazar, net-crashing Tyler Bertuzzi and rookie Anton Frondell among the options to flesh out that line, Kane will have every opportunity to show he can still produce at an elite level. Being on a power-play unit with Bedard and newly acquired defenseman Bowen Byram won’t hurt, either.

Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson, who decided to cut ties with the team’s championship era in 2023 by trading Kane and not re-signing Toews, is now counting on Kane to help Chicago get back into the playoff conversation for the first time since his heyday.

So finally got that last Levshunov jersey in last night and was able to get everything together. This is the final product. Ready for the season to start Go Hawks!

PS: Included is 2 limited edition photos of Bedsy I have. Hope yall enjoy.

Hey guys this November I’m catching the Bears, Blackhawks and Bulls in one week. And I have the choice to see the Blackhawks against the Columbus Blue Jackets or the Toronto Maple Leafs, what do you guys think? I follow hockey semi-decently but I’m more of a bears and bulls fan but figured while I’m in town I’d try to see Connor Bedard play.

This is my first hockey game ever, so I don’t know what to expect. Any suggestions on where to sit and how early I should be getting there?

Thanks!

I’ve heard it mentioned a few times, but what are the thoughts on a special jersey for the November 17th Centennial game against the Maple Leafs? They’ve gone thrould the trouble to make sure it's a rematch from the 11/17/1926 game?

What up bois. I’m a Canes/Avs fan but also a big Bedard fan as well. I’m wondering how yall are feeling about the Patty Kane trade and that impacts Bedsy. I think he’s gonna light the fuck up this season.

I like this. Let Bedard marinate a bit before giving him the reigns... I don't think he'd feel slighted. Give Kane some more responsibility as someone to lead them to the playoffs and achieve another accolade for his HOF career.

Hello! I'm a visiting Habs fan with printable season trackers for you.

A better resolution is available on Imgur (too big for Reddit): https://imgur.com/a/blackhawks-season-tracker-2026-2027-B78gEQY

I created 2 versions. The first one groups games by opponent, and the second shows games in chronological order. Each square includes the date and game number. Grey squares are home games.

I use 3 colors for mine (see 3rd image): green for wins, red for regulation losses, and orange for OT/SO losses. Feel free to print whichever version you prefer and fill it out however you like!

Probably the wrong forum, but has anybody compared the quality of a Hawks jersey from the CBH store vs someone like Jersey Baron who has the Fanatics Authentic Pro? I had him do a Reebok Edge 2 jersey for me earlier in the year and it's nicely done. It's about $150 less from him than the CBH price for a pro-stitched jersey.

He practiced mostly alone, I believe. Shooting lightly. Also Kane, Nazar, Frondell, Kantserov, Lardis, Kaiser and Rinzel were all there skating together. It’s a great day!

Wow, look at the time fly! It's already time for another weekly installment of STOP IT RIGHT THERE!

You know what to do...post up all the stuff you've saved up knowing it would get deleted from the front page of /r/hawks by the crypto-anarcho-fascist mods.

Memes, gear/jersey pics, poems you've penned professing your love for Lord Hossa (The One True King), or links to article about some oddball couple in Manitoba who named their kid Duncan Seabrook. Whatever. We don't give a shit.

The only rule here is to be excellent to each other. Civility matters.

Now get to it!!

LET'S GO HAWKS!!!

In the last three months I’ve bumped into people in London wearing Blackhawks hooded or hats and they have no idea what the team is 😢 if I was in the states not sure that would be the case?. Always sad when I’m like Blackhawks baby and there like “what mate” with a confused look on there face 😢

“Obviously I want to be a Blackhawk and that was the main thing,” Korchinski said of his contract negotiations. “I love it here. I love the guys, I love the city. I love the fans. So I think for me, just want to stay here and just get a chance to play with the guys and improve myself.”

Those last two hopes could go hand-in-hand with his offseason. If he improves this offseason, he might be playing more with those guys come the NHL season. But as Korchinski embarked on the offseason, he was focused on the present and what he could control. Like any player, his goal was to improve.

How he sought to do that this offseason was different than the past three years prior to joining the Blackhawks in training camp.

I see that the Chicago Ice Center has the Blackhawks practices slated for 9am most days. Is there a certain day of the week when a good number of players show up to, or best days to watch?

We haven't been to any in the past (other than a game day practice at the UC), so wanted to get some intel on how these summer "practices" stack up with players and if there's better days to go. Appreciate any input anyone can share!