BLACKHAWKS BEGIN DEFENSE OF STANLEY CUP ON TUESDAY, OCT. 1

PRESEASON STARTS ON TUESDAY, SEPT. 17

In conjunction with the National Hockey League, the Chicago Blackhawks announced today their 2013-14 regular-season schedule. The organization’s 86th regular season launches when the club hosts the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at the United Center, marking the first time since 2005-06 that the Blackhawks begin the season on home ice. The Blackhawks will honor their 2013 Stanley Cup Championship at the home opener, with more details to be made available at a later date.

Beginning this season, Blackhawks evening games at the United Center will move to 7:00 p.m. start times. Select games may begin earlier or later due to national television broadcasts.

Twenty-four of the team’s 41 home contests will take place on weekends, including seven Fridays, five Saturdays and 12 Sundays. Six of the team’s first eight games will be played at the United Center and the Blackhawks host a season-high, four-game homestand on two separate occasions (Jan. 12-19 and March 19-25).

The Blackhawks open their 41-game road slate on Wednesday, Oct. 9 when they travel to St. Louis to square off against the St. Louis Blues. Chicago’s longest road trips of the season include two seven-game swings from Nov. 19-30 and Jan.28-Feb. 27. The team’s second seven-game road trip will be broken up by the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, which take place from Feb. 7-23 in Sochi, Russia.

Under the NHL’s realignment and new schedule format, the Blackhawks will play the other six teams within their division for a total of 29 games. Chicago will play five games each against Colorado (three home/two away), Dallas (two home/three away), Minnesota (two home/three away), Nashville (two home/three away) and St. Louis (three home/two away), while facing Winnipeg four times (two home/two away).

Chicago will play the remaining seven Western Conference teams three times each for a total of 21 games. The Blackhawks will host two games against Anaheim, Edmonton, Los Angeles and San Jose, while traveling to each of those cities for one contest. The team will play one home game against Calgary, Phoenix and Vancouver, and will play two road contests against each of those clubs.

The Blackhawks will meet each Eastern Conference team once at home and once on the road for a total of 32 out-of-conference games.

For the sixth consecutive season, all 82 Chicago Blackhawks games will be televised in HD on Comcast SportsNet Chicago and WGN-TV, the official television broadcasting partners of the Blackhawks, with Pat Foley and Eddie Olczyk providing the call. Every game in 2013-14 can also be heard on Chicago’s WGN Radio 720, with John Wiedeman and Troy Murray calling the action. The complete television broadcast schedule will be released at a later date.

Additionally, the team announced its six-game preseason schedule, which includes three home contests (Sept. 17 vs. DET, Sept. 19 vs. PIT and Sept. 28 vs. WSH) as well as three road games (Sept. 20 at WSH, Sept. 22 at DET and Sept. 23 at PIT).

Information about group tickets for Blackhawks pre- and regular-season games is available by calling (312) 455-7000. Tickets for single games will be available at a later date.