This is going to be a fun, exciting season for the Chicago Blackhawks, who open heir training camp on Thursday morning this week. And we’re firmly believing it’s going to be better than last year (it has to be, right?) with injections of veterans around reigning Calder Trophy winner Connor Bedard.
While the training camp slate is just the beginning of the NHL season, there are a lot of dates on the NHL league calendar for the year that are noteworthy — especially for Blackhawks fans this year. From Jeremy Roenick finally going into the Hockey Hall of Fame to the original owner of the franchise being posthumously inducted into the USA Hockey Hall of Fame, the trade deadline and the Frozen Four, there’s something other than Blackhawks games for us to be aware of between now and the end of next June.
Here are dates on the macro hockey calendar that Black𓄧hawks fans should keep circled on their calendars for the 2024-25 season:
Oct. 7 — Deadline for teams to submit cap-compliant rosters (4 PM CT)
Oct. 12 — 2024 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game between North Dakota and Providence (four Blackhawks prospects on the two rosters) — 6 PM CT
Oct. 22 — NHL Frozen Frenzy (all 32 NHL Teams in action)
Oct. 23 — Central Scouting Department releases its Preliminary Players to Watch List for the 2025 NHL Draft
Nov. 11 — 2024 Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration, including Jeremy Roenick, Shea Weber, Pavel Datsyuk, Natalie Darwitz, Krissy Wendell-Pohl (Player category); Colin Campbell and David Poile (builder
category)
Nov. 20 — Central Scouting Department updates its Players to Watch List for the 2025 NHL Draft
Dec. 1 — Deadline to sign Group 2 free agents (4 PM CT)
Dec. 4 — 2024 USA Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration, including original Blackhawks owner Major Frederic McLaughlin, Kevin Stevens, Matt Cullen, Brianna Decker, and the 2002 Paralympic Sled Hockey Team.
Dec. 20-27 — NHL’s holiday roster freeze in effect
Dec. 24-26 — Holiday break (no scheduled practices – dressing rooms closed)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 5 — 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship (Ottawa, Ont.)
Dec. 31 — NHL Winter Classic: St. Louis Blues at Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field
Week of Jan. 13 — NHL Central Scouting Mid-Season Rankings release
Week of Jan. 20 — USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game
Feb. 2-3 — 2025 AHL All-Star Classic
Feb. 10-21 — NHL 4 Nations Face-Off break
Feb. 12-20 — NHL 4 Nations Face-Off competition featuring NHL players from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States
March 7 — 2025 NHL Trade Deadline (2 PM CT)
April 10-12 — NCAA Frozen Four (Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Mo.)
Week of April 15 — NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings release for the 2025 NHL Draft
April 17 — Last day of 2024-25 NHL regular season
TBD (April) — 2025 NHL Draft Lottery
May 9-25 — IIHF Men’s World Championship (Stockholm, Sweden & Herning, Denmark)
May 22 – June 1 — 2025 CHL Memorial Cup
June 1-7 — 2025 NHL Scouting Combine (Buffalo, NY)
June 23 — Last possible day for 2025 Stanley Cup Final
