It’s Valentine’s Day, but the Chicago Blackhawks have not been feeling the love lately. They’ve hit a season-high seven-game losing streak, further solidifying their last-place status.
This season has had some unprecedented hiccups with scoring woes, injuries, and a snowball effect of bad news. But one thing stands out this season compared to the rest: players who are easy to root for. Even though this roster is not filled with elite talent, there are personalities on the team that have kept fans engaged despite the challenging circumstances.
Here are three players Blackhawks fans have fallen in love with during the 2023-24 season!
3. Nick Foligno
When Nick Foligno was acquired over the summer and included in the the Taylor Hall trade package, I don’t think fans expected to like him this much. Sure, he was beloved amongst fanbases and teammates around the league prior, but in that trade package, he seemed like a “throw-in, veteran presence addition,” but ended up being much more than that. He made an impression early in the preseason when he prioritized getting to know his teammates on a deeper level to help their bond on the ice. His personality has also been a big bonus. When he speaks, he speaks honestly, bluntly, and even with a bit of humor. Fans can feel like they are listening to a friend talking to them, which is why they liked him from the start.
That is what can be so feel-good about sports; the player’s talents initially pique fans’ interest, but their personalities and how they act off the ice draw them in. Foligno is always the first person to explain what the Hawks are doing wrong on the ice and how it can be fixed, but he is also the first to cheer his teammates on and stick up for them, even during their tough moments, such as sticking up for Connor Bedard when he got his jaw fractured from a hit by New Jersey Devils’ defenseman Brendan Smith or encouraging Lukas Reichel during his struggle to find consistency this season.
Foligno currently leads the team in hits (122), is second-best in shooting percentage (11.5%), fourth-best in points (21 points in 46 games), and is fifth-best on the team in faceoffs (49.5% success rate), even though he plays left wing on the team. He does a little bit of everything, and the two-year extension he received in January was well-deserved. When Chicago finally starts putting it together, the 36-year-old will be a big reason why the ship was righted. As Philipp Kurashev said, “He’s really one of the best teammates I’ve ever played with.”
Enough said.
2. Alex Vlasic
There is so much to be said about a 22-year-old rookie defenseman who does not have a lot of bad games on a sinking team. I have yet to see a game from Alex Vlasic where the broadcast, either home or on national television, doesn’t point out the impressive plays he makes on a nightly basis. He is usually at the right place at the right time. He’s a big defenseman at 6-foot-6 but he also has the ability to use his size to his advantage by being able to cover so much of the ice with his stride alone. Whether it’s breaking up odd-man rushes or being able to clear the front of the net, he has been very reliable, and every team, especially a rebuilding one, needs players like that, who you don’t have to worry about because you know they are trustworthy.
He has taken on massive responsibility this season, playing in all situations on the top pair with Seth Jones, but he has taken it in stride, never complained, and welcomed it, and his stats reflect that. He leads the team in takeaways with 42; he has 11 points in 47 games (second-best on defense) and is a plus-one while carrying the second-most ice time behind Jones, averaging over 21 minutes a night. Fans have always been drawn to model defensemen like Niklas Hjalmarsson. They aren’t the flashiest ones who put up 50-plus points and sometimes get less attention than the ones that do, understandably, but they get the job done. They ultimately end up playing significant parts on championship teams, which is why he became an instant fan favorite.
Related: Blackhawks’ Vlasic Removing Doubt With Strong Rookie Season
The best part? Vlasic’s career has only just begun. The defense core is still taking shape, but the Blackhawks know what to expect from Vlasic, even though it’s still his first full season, which makes the team’s direction easier when they know they already have a player with a solidified role that works.
1. Connor Bedard
You can’t put out a list like this and not mention Connor Bedard, right? Fans have been smitten even before he was drafted. With custom-made Bedard jerseys paraded around after it was announced the Blackhawks won the draft lottery, to the Bedard mania that has swept the city and the league ever since.
So far, Bedard has done everything you would hope a first-overall pick would do, with 33 points in 39 games. Until Feb. 12, he led all rookies in points and hadn’t played in over a month. Bedard was essentially a point-per-game player before fracturing his jaw on Jan. 5, with the longest he had gone without a point being two games. His skill is evident on a nightly basis: the vision, the wicked shot that goalies can’t track, and a knack for goal-scoring that you can’t teach, only admire. But it’s not just the on-ice product you get with Bedard; his demeanor off the ice has been just as impressive for an 18-year-old.
It became a running joke among the Blackhawks that they can’t get Bedard off the ice. Even though he hasn’t been able to play due to injury, he is still out there every morning at practice getting his time in, and he lingers on the ice way after he is supposed to get off. Foligno even joked that he couldn’t keep him off the ice after his jaw surgery.
Related: Connor Bedard is Enough to Earn Blackhawks the Winter Classic
At this point, the team could build The Great Wall of China between Bedard and the rink, and it wouldn’t be enough to stop him from skating. His drive to win and his work ethic is second to none. Like Foligno, Bedard’s talents are what fans initially liked, but how he conducts himself off the ice has made it even better. He has become a great ambassador for the team and the league, showing up to the All-Star Game, even though he couldn’t play in the game, and even announcing that the Hawks were participating in the 2025 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field in a picturesque way. Bedard is the moment, and Blackhawks fans are grateful they can watch him for the foreseeable future. The team misses him greatly, but the countdown is on, as he may return next week!
Honorable Mentions
This list was hard to do because there are many players that Hawks fans have enjoyed watching this season. So, I thought I would give some of the others a quick shoutout.
Petr Mrazek
Goaltender Petr Mrazek has been a brick wall. He carries a .909 save percentage and a 2.96 goals-against average, which is crazy good, yet he has a 12-21-2 record. However, the record reflects the team struggling to score goals, not him. For a goaltender with few expectations this season, it’s clear this season would be a lot uglier if he weren’t in the net, as he has given his team a chance to win almost every night.
Jason Dickinson
There has been no one more reliable than Jason Dickinson this season. He has been the one who has played in all 53 games this season, and when asked to play a bigger role due to all the injuries, he has stepped up. His 26 points are third-best on the team, his plus-7 rating leads the team, and he has been able to play all over the lineup and on special teams. He and Mrazek both getting two-year extensions in January were paramount.
Philipp Kurashev
Philipp Kurashev has always been one of the most talented players on the Blackhawks. He can skate, score, and his versatility plays dividends, especially with Bedard out. He recently broke his career-high in points this season (28 points in 46 games) compared to his previous career-high of 25 points in 70 games last season.
Kurashev can still be frustratingly inconsistent, points-wise, but he does the little things well and has been underrated on this team.
MacKenzie Entwistle
Chicago sports fans love players who may not be elite but play their hearts out every shift, and that is what MacKenzie Entwistle does. He only has five points in 44 games, but he shows up every night and doesn’t make it easy for opponents; whether it hits disrupting plays, screening opposing goalies, or even yapping while mic’d up, he has found a home on the third line and has been entertaining. His friendly nature has always been a hit with fans, too.
Kevin Korchinski
Even though Vlasic is the rookie defenseman who has stolen the spotlight this season, he is not to be overshadowed by Kevin Korchinski. He has talent you can’t replicate, with skating and a scoring ability that makes him look like a forward, as evidenced by his goal against the Vancouver Canucks on Feb. 13. He is so fun to watch. His growth as an all-around defenseman is getting even better as the season goes on, with 10 points in 47 games. Korchinski has not had an easy road this season with his father passing away in December. But the 19-year-old still shows up to the rink every day with a smile and works hard, which is admirable and says a lot about him as a player and person.
Overall, the Blackhawks have struggled, but management has created a locker room of good people. It started showing last season and showed even more this season. Success on the ice starts with good culture and character, and if there is one thing Hawks fans can say has gone right this season, they have players who are easy to root for. Now, they just need the results to follow.