Blackhawks Breakaway

The NHL is scheduled to make its 56-game return on January 13th with 4 divisions and a 16-team playoff with the regular season concluding on May 8th. Host Pat Boyle, Charlie Roumeliotis, and Scott King discuss the start of the new season, what fans should prepare for and the tweaks made by the NHL to make sure their season is safe and completed. The crew also dives into the Hawks' division and rank where they think the Hawks are in the 8-team Central. Plus, they discuss if there's a plan for fans to come to games. (1:14) - Return to Play plan is officially set (5:52) - How will rosters be constructed in a 56-game season? (12:35) - How will teams prepare with limited preseason games and training camp? (18:26) - Will fans be allowed in games at any point during the season? (23:29) - Ranking the teams in the Central division. Where do the Blackhawks land?

The Blackhawks have restructured their leadership and announced that Danny Wirtz will become CEO, Jaime Faulkner is the President of Business Operations, and Stan Bowman will become the President of Hockey Operations. Host Pat Boyle, Charlie Roumeliotis, and Scott King discuss the changes and how it will impact the Hawks moving forward. (1:36) - Reaction to the new structure of the Blackhawks (7:33) - Why the Hawks chose to split the hockey ops and business ops (13:50) - Who had the say so to start the rebuild before the management restructuring? (19:00) - Did job security for Stan Bowman play a role in rebuild? (23:00) - New President of business operations Jaime Faulkner will connect with fans (28:03) - The Blackhawks still need to win for this to work

On the latest Blackhawks Talk Podcast, host Pat Boyle is joined by Charlie Roumeliotis and Scott King to discuss Dylan Strome's future and where he might fit into the long-term plans. The crew also discusses Kirby Dach's development as he prepares for the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championships and how that may impact his Blackhawk season. Later in the podcast Pat, Scott, and Charlie answer fan questions and concerns about the Blackhawks. (1:48) - Updates on the negotiations between the NHL owners and players (5:00) - New divisions for the 2021 season (8:47) - What does the future of Dylan Strome look like? (15:30) - Kirby Dach in the 2021 World Junior's and how it could impact his Blackhawks season (21:30) - How much should fans expect from Ian Mitchell? (24:58) - Will the Blackhawks continue to go forth with the goalies that they have?

One of the greatest broadcasting voices in sports is stepping away from the booth and doing it on his own terms. Host Pat Boyle is joined by legendary broadcaster Doc Emrick as they discuss why he's leaving the booth, his favorite memories broadcasting, relives the Blackhawks Cup runs, and his new book "Off Mike". Later in the podcast, Pat talks with Doc's broadcasting partner and friend Eddie Olczyk as Edzo sends off Doc in a heartfelt salute and tells a few memories and stories of his friend Doc Emrick. (1:17) - Why was this the time to retire from broadcasting? (5:58) - Doc explains where his passion for hockey came from (12:38) - Doc turns down a TV job in Philadelphia (19:34) - Ernie Hardwell becomes Doc Emrick's mentor (23:20) - The Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup runs

The players and NHL owners haven’t agreed on finances to begin the season yet, but a new proposed start date has surfaced. Pat Boyle, Charlie Roumeliotis, and Scott King discuss the new start date and what that will mean for the 2020-21 season. The crew also discusses the financial stalemate between the two sides and why there hasn't been a collectively bargained agreement yet. Later in the pod, teams are considering playing games outside so fans can watch games, should the Blackhawks think about it? (1:10) - Latest updates on return to play for the NHL (5:20) - Should the season start in Hub city bubbles? (12:30) - Players and owners are at a financial stalemate (22:34) - Teams considering playing outside to allow fans to watch the games (28:16) - Parting shots

Kendall Coyne Schofield became the first female player development coach in the history of the Blackhawks organization and is prepared to break even more barriers in the NHL. Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis are joined by Coyne Schofield to discuss her journey to the Blackhawks and why she is ready to develop the team’s prospects as they rebuild for another championship run. (1:15) - Coyne Schofield discusses what drew her to the player development position with the Blackhawks (5:29) - How will she balance playing for the women's national team, being the developmental coach and broadcasting duties? (10:10) - Kendall talks about the growth of women's hockey and how she is making sure women have opportunities to play hockey (15:33) - Kendall’s thoughts on women breaking barriers in sports and in front offices (20:10) - The importance of normalizing women in sports for future generations

The Blackhawks are undergoing a rebuild they hope will lead to more Stanley Cup runs. To speak on the rebuild that led to 3 Stanley Cups, Blackhawks writer Scott King is joined by Stanley Cup champion Brent Sopel as they discuss and compare the rebuild that led to those Cup runs and the rebuild the Hawks are going through now. Sopel shares some never-before-heard stories about the 2010 run, and also discusses his continued work with The Brent Sopel Foundation to raise awareness about dyslexia. (3:55) - Sopel on being mentioned by his 2010 teammates as the unsung hero of the 2010 Stanley Cup run (8:20) - Sopel discusses signing with the Hawks and his contributions to the 2010 playoff run (14:20) - Sopel on seeing signs that the rebuild was working before the 2010 championship (20:05) - Sopel on the hardships of playing hurt for the majority of his career (23:30) - Sopel discusses his sobriety and helping others

Blackhawks Assistant General Manager of Player Development Mark Eaton talks with Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis. Topics include the hiring of Kendall Coyne Schofield, his new role with the team, lessons learned from the NHL playoff bubble, and the development of prospects like Ian Mitchell, Lukas Reichel and Nicolas Beaudin. (1:14) – Mark Eaton talks about how his role has changed since being promoted to Assistant General Manager of Player Development (4:39) – Mark discusses the hiring of Kendall Coyne Schofield as player development coach and what she brings to the Blackhawks. (9:18) – Mark reflects on the lessons the team learned during their time in the NHL playoff bubble. (11:23) – Kirby Dach’s development took center stage in the bubble. Mark discusses Dach’s growing confidence and responsibility levels on the ice. (17:53) – Mark talks about Ian Mitchell’s chances of being a full-time NHL player in the upcoming 2020-21 season. He says “the sky’s the limit” for Mitchell thanks in big part to his off-ice routines and intangibles. (21:07) – Mark discusses the developmental plan for top prospect Lukas Reichel. (24:53) – Keeping with the theme of prospects, Mark talks about how young defenseman Nicolas Beaudin is developing and how far away he is from being a full-time contributor in the NHL. (33:29) – What should Blackhawks fans expect this season from the blue line, with the mix of veterans and young defensemen?

Think you know everything there is to know about Patrick Kane? Think again. Darryl Belfry - who has known Kane since the superstar was just 9 years old - stops by the Blackhawks Talk Podcast to discuss his new book: “Belfry Hockey: Strategies to Teach the World’s Best Athletes.” Belfry goes in-depth with Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis about Kane’s offensive growth at a very young age, his dynamic scoring and passing abilities, his philosophy on puck touches, and so much more. (5:05) - Darryl on the first time he met a 9-year old Patrick Kane and what he saw in Kane as a youth player that would translate so well to the NHL. (9:26) - Darryl talks about the time he took Kane out of a game because he was scoring too many goals on his own (no, really.) Belfry thinks this was a major turning point in Kane’s early hockey career. (19:42) - The Belfry Hockey Tactics and Tune-Up Camp has brought together All-Stars and future stars in a way seldom seen before in hockey. Darryl discusses how the camp started to take off and his philosophy working with players like Kane and Auston Matthews (33:08) - Darryl discusses his communication process with players like Kane and how it can change throughout the season. (40:17) - Darryl talks about Patrick Kane’s dynamic scoring ability and how he became a true elite dual-threat scorer. (45:20) - Patrick Kane’s goal for puck-touches per game used to be a simple number. But thanks to Belfry, Kane’s “puck-touch philosophy” has shifted to an entirely different level. It’s all about improving the quality of the puck-touches by problem solving sequences. (You may never watch a Blackhawks game the same way again.) (52:58) - Darryl shares his thoughts on how long he thinks Kane can continue to play at an elite level. Darryl says he wouldn’t bet against Kane playing until he’s 50.

With the NHL season seemingly right around the corner, the owners and players could be headed towards negotiations surrounding the CBA, "deferred money" and "escrow caps." Do the players still have the upper hand? Are the most recent reports simply negotiation tactics by the owners? Pat Boyle, Charlie Roumeliotis and Scott King break down what the most recent "CBA speed bump" could mean for the impending start of the season, and how any impasse might impact the return to play. Once the NHL does drop the puck on the 2020-21 season, what will the Blackhawks' division look like? Where will the games be played, and how many fans will be allowed to attend? Finally, Brent Seabrook is healthy and ready to prove any doubters wrong. The guys also discuss the emotional toll Seabrook has taken off the ice in recent years. (1:20) - The “return to play” is right around the corner for the Blackhawks and the 2020-21 NHL season, but the players and owners may have just hit a roadblock before hockey can resume. Pat Boyle, Charlie Roumeliotis and Scott King break down the CBA and the hangups surrounding “deferred money” and “escrow caps.” (8:56) - The NHL owners and the NHL Players' Association will most likely need to come to an agreement within the next week, and there are still some big question marks even beyond “deferred money” and “escrow”. Did the NHL learn a lesson from MLB’s very public negotiations this summer? (12:50) - How could the potential absence of fans at games early in the season affect small market teams? (14:20) - Breaking down the possible division opponents for the Blackhawks in 2020-21. Could the Hawks be playing division games against the defending Stanley Cup champs this winter? (17:00) - What would a “hub city” setup in the NHL look like? Could the Blackhawks be looking at a more “baseball-style” schedule for the 2020-21 season? (26:30) - Brent Seabrook had a rare sit-down interview with Pierre LeBrun recently, and he opened up in a way Blackhawks fans have never seen or heard. Could we be in store for a big “comeback season” from Seabs with the injuries and difficult personal times now behind him?