CHICAGO — In the last decade, 76 different teenagers have played in at least 18 NHL games in a season.

Just 16 of them were defensemen.

In other words, what Artyom Levshunov is doing isn’t normal. It’s worth remembering that while riding the rickety rollercoaster that is the Levshunov experience.

“Maybe it’s easier for forwards because they just go forward, play offense,” Levshunov said. “We’ve got to play defense and offense both. Sometimes, it can be difficult to have balance with that. It’s why it takes time, I think, to get that confidence.”

Confidence isn’t an issue for Levshunov. Even after he was held on the ice an extra 10 or 15 minutes following Saturday’s morning skate at the United Center, an obvious indicator that he would be a healthy scratch in the home opener against the Montreal Canadiens — a 3-2 Blackhawks loss — Levshunov maintained his good humor. Asked if he was going to be in the lineup that night, Levshunov offered a wry chuckle and said, “Probably not!”

Levshunov’s first two games were very … well, on brand. On his first shift against Florida, he turned the puck over in the neutral zone, leading to a Panthers scoring chance. He then took two penalties in the first period. Against Boston two nights later, he made a beautiful instinctive play to set up André Burakovsky’s equalizer early in the third period. He then took two more penalties, including a killer high-stick with 2:42 left and the score tied, after which he complained to the officials rather than continuing to play.

That last one was the biggest reason Levshunov was introduced in a suit rather than a jersey during a raucous pregame ceremony Saturday.

“It’s a learning process and that’s just the reality of it,” Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said. “I thought there was some good moments and there were some moments that he has to learn from. Certainly the penalty late in the game is a big moment. Guys are going to make mistakes, and we’ve talked about that as a staff and with our group. This isn’t about making mistakes. This is about certain choices. And what are those certain choices? Any kind of winning hockey moments and that’s one of them, you can’t take penalties late in a game like that.”

It felt significant, even though it was obviously coincidental, that Levshunov was scratched in Ivan Demidov’s first game at the United Center. The Blackhawks were torn on whether to take the cowboy defenseman or the flashy forward with the second overall pick in the 2024 draft, and ultimately settled on Levshunov. Fans, seeing the gaping hole on Connor Bedard’s wing, clamored for Demidov, and as a result, the two will always be linked. Just like Blackhawks fans think of Alex DeBrincat whenever they see Kevin Korchinski (or, on the other end of the spectrum, think of Kirby Dach when they see Frank Nazar) because of the draft-day decisions that led them to Chicago, Levshunov will always be compared to Demidov.

In the long run, it could be a fair fight. Kyle Davidson and the Blackhawks are counting on it. But as 19-year-olds, it’s a battle Levshunov is unlikely to win. Demidov is a betting favorite to win the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie after posting a goal and an assist in his two NHL games last season. Levshunov is still riding the wave as an AHL/NHL tweener after 18 promising but eventful NHL games last year.

The Belarussian Levshunov and Russian Demidov got to know each other a bit in the lead-up to the draft.

“I follow him and I watch him,” Levshunov said. “He’s such a good player.”

Demidov was a little more coy, saying he didn’t think he was in competition with Levshunov.

“I try to compare with myself,” he said.

Levshunov’s positive attitude could go a long way, because the Boston game won’t be the last time he stumbles, and the Montreal game might not be the last time he’s benched. Remember, Cale Makar didn’t make his NHL debut until he was 20. Quinn Hughes played two full seasons of college hockey to Levshunov’s one. And the patron saint of Blackhawks defensemen, Duncan Keith, was 22 when he debuted, after two seasons in college and the WHL and two full seasons in the American Hockey League.

It’s easy to suggest that Levshunov should still be at Michigan State, or in Rockford, for that matter. And there’s some truth to that. But his game feels better suited to the NHL than the rougher, dump-and-chase AHL, and it was pretty clear to all involved that Levshunov wasn’t terribly interested in another year of college.

So the Blackhawks will get the jaw-dropping plays, and they’ll get the forehead-slapping miscues. It’s a developmental season in Chicago, anyway. After all, their four centers Saturday night were 20, 21, 21 and 23 years old.

Levshunov’s attitude should help. He didn’t seem offended by the scratch, and he seemed to fully grasp the message sent by Blashill.

“I’ve been creating, creating more scoring chances,” he said. “But I’ve got to play defense, too. If I play good defense, the offense will come. Defense first. Then offense. Gotta save the house first, and then go outside. That’s why it’s difficult. Still, when I get back, I’ll play hard, play strong.”

That’s all the Blackhawks can ask. For now.

Here are some observations from the game:

• Practice time is at a premium in the NHL, so Blashill said he is trying to maximize his morning skates with more than just warmup drills and line rushes. To that end, the Blackhawks spent much of Saturday’s early skate working on the penalty kill.

Then they spent darn near half the game doing the same.

Montreal had 10 power plays — scoring on two of them — in a feisty and scrappy home opener that wasn’t decided until Kaiden Guhle’s shot through heavy traffic beat Spencer Knight with 15 seconds left in the game.

There were several post-whistle skirmishes, including a near line brawl that featured Louis Crevier and Guhle going at it at center ice (eliciting “USA! USA!” chants from the crowd despite both players being Canadian) after Guhle laid a big hit on Nazar. Crevier got a 10-minute misconduct for going after Guhle.

Bedard even found himself in the middle of a couple of scrums, at one point earning an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty for apparently flipping a puck at Alexandre Carrier’s, uh, midsection.

Blashill had no problem with any of it.

“We’ll do that all day, every day,” he said of Crevier’s response to the hit on Nazar. “We’re going to look after each other. We’re going to fight for each other.”

Blashill seemed to suggest it was a good night for diving, the way it was officiated, but said, “We’re not going to be a team that goes down light. We’re going to be a team that plays through it.”

• The Blackhawks have just one point in three games, and it’s very early, but they’re undeniably faster and more competitive than they were for most of the past few seasons. Their scrappiness — they seem adamant about not being pushed around this season, even if it means crossing a few lines — doesn’t hurt, either.

Captain Nick Foligno is weary of moral victories, but he senses they’re close to breaking through.

“That’s the hard part, right?” he said. “We’re reality- and results-based. So I’m encouraged by what I see. But at the end of the day, we need to find a way to get wins. That’s how you learn, as well, to be in tight games.”

JURAJ $%#$% SLAFKOVSKY#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/VH4hFA3XKT

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 12, 2025

• If there’s a comparable to what Sam Rinzel could be for the Blackhawks this season, Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson might be a prime candidate.

Hutson joined the Canadiens after his sophomore season at Boston University, played a few games that first season and then took off last season. He produced six goals and 60 assists in 82 games on his way to last season’s Calder Trophy.

The Blackhawks have already shown they’re going to give Rinzel similar premium offensive opportunities from five-on-five to power play to put up that type of production this season. On Saturday, Rinzel took care of the major milestone of scoring his first NHL goal. After a Nazar faceoff win, Teuvo Teräväinen passed the puck back to Rinzel, and he skated into the right circle and placed a shot into the top left corner of the net.

“It kind of feels like a weight off your shoulders,” Rinzel said. “I had a lot of chances before this. A lot of people say kind of the hard part is to get the chances. I felt like I was doing the right things and I was getting the hard parts out of the way, getting in the right spots. Yeah, to get the first one feels good. Definitely gives you some confidence, for sure.”

• Lukas Reichel had to wait until the third game, but he finally made his season debut Saturday. It was pretty uneventful.

Reichel was one of the players who was most impacted by the number of penalties. Without a role on either the power play or penalty kill and being on the fourth line, he played 6:41 and had zero shot attempts.

• The Blackhawks commenced their centennial celebration by welcoming back approximately 50 alumni and holding a pregame ceremony with Pat Foley as master of ceremonies.

In the most emotional moment, Foley encouraged fans to cheer for former Blackhawks player and current radio broadcaster Troy Murray, who Foley said couldn’t be in attendance. Murray was diagnosed with cancer in 2021.