The Chicago Blackhawks’ dressing room could look quite a bit different by the end of this week, as the March 6 NHL trade deadline looms large. While it’s an exciting time for fans and general managers, it’s a fraught time for players. Those who get traded have their lives upturned, and those who remain behind have to watch their friends — such as Connor Murphy, who was traded before this story was published — walk out the door, likely never to return.
Before the deadline, we wanted to get the pulse of this locker room, a team that’s had its ups and downs but has been more competitive than expected and seems to genuinely enjoy its time together in the room and on the ice.
We polled 20 Blackhawks on a variety of topics and had them dish on — and dig at — their teammates. Here are the results.
(Note: We opted to keep quotes and mentions of Murphy in this story even though he’s no longer with the Blackhawks.)
Most superstitious
Even Donato knew where this one was going.
“I’m going to guess and say that 99 percent of the guys said me,” he said. “Sorry, I like to say a couple prayers before games.”
To hear his teammates tell it, Donato’s pregame routine goes far beyond a couple of prayers. Not that anyone will divulge any specifics. That stuff is sacrosanct in the locker room.
“I don’t have time to go through every little superstition that he’s got,” Jason Dickinson said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“He has just a hyper-focused routine,” Connor Murphy said. “It’s very detailed and long.”
Leave it to the loquacious Teuvo Teräväinen to put it best.
“His game day routines are weird,” Teräväinen said.
Donato was one of the two players who picked Bedard. It’s one of those “takes one to know one” deals. Interestingly enough, when we did this poll toward the end of Bedard’s rookie season, he got 11 votes to Donato’s seven.
“Bedsy is sneaky,” Donato said. “He pretends like he’s not superstitious. But he does some things I catch because I’m a superstitious guy.”
Matt Grzelcyk was voted “best dressed” by his teammates. (Steve Babineau / NHLI via Getty Images)
Best dressed
(Note: Not all Blackhawks players polled answered all of our questions.)
Players are no longer required to wear suits to and from the rink every day, so you see a lot more casual sweaters, hoodies and the like. Artyom Levshunov, for one, seems to enjoy dressing down. But some guys still put more thought into their appearance than others.
Consider the captain unimpressed.
“S—, no one’s really well dressed on this team,” Nick Foligno said. “I’m not going to lie to you. There’s not one guy (to whom) I’d go, ‘He’s well dressed.’”
So, you can understand why the votes for Foligno were given somewhat grudgingly.
“I hate to give it to Fliggy, but he dresses well,” Dickinson said.
Murphy is usually a perennial contender in this category but slipped to just one vote this time around.
“Murph is classy, and I like that he mixes in some casual outfits, looks professional, sometimes will mix in some suits at home,” Donato said. “He’s got a plethora of suits.”
If you’re looking for a tiebreaker between the two leaders, Knight picked Grzelcyk.
Tyler Bertuzzi, on the other hand, was voted “worst dressed.” (Michael Mooney / NHLI via Getty Images)
Worst dressed
This question always makes the guys nervous. Kevin Korchinski was a runaway “winner” in 2024, leaving him “bummed out.”
“I feel like I’m going to be a leading candidate,” Crevier said.
Bertuzzi got multiple votes in best and worst but easily took this category. His style can best be described as rugged casual, to put it kindly.
“It’s just ugly,” Foligno said. “I don’t want to say what I want to say because it’ll probably be offensive. But it’s just ugly.”
Knight disagreed.
“I think some people would say Bert, but Bert has his own style that he rocks,” Knight said.
“This style, some guys like it, some don’t,” Bertuzzi shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Moore picked Nazar, noting that he pretty much wears “team gitch” most of the time.
Levshunov was diplomatic.
“I don’t think we have a worst dresser,” he said. “Everyone tries to look good.”
Most likely to be a future coach
No surprise that Foligno took this category, given his very vocal presence in the locker room and on the bench. Also, he’s closest to retirement.
“I’ve got to say Foligno,” Burakovsky said. “He’s the oldest.”
Murphy’s dad, Gord Murphy, spent 18 seasons as an NHL assistant coach, so it’s in his blood.
“Just his demeanor,” Grzelcyk said. “He knows the game real well. I think he’s just really knowledgeable. He’s got a good personality. He can kind of manage different personalities at the same time.”
Most likely to be a future GM
Bedard is a full-blown hockey nerd, and his teammates have noticed.
“He just loves hockey,” Grzelcyk said. “Obviously, he’s going to have a really long career. He’ll go through so many different experiences.”
Moore’s bar was a little lower.
“When we talk about it, he’s smart,” Moore said of Bedard. “He knows the rules and stuff.”
Slaggert thought Bedard would go back and run a team in his beloved Western Hockey League when all is said and done.
Murphy got a ringing endorsement from Knight.
“He’s very cerebral,” Knight said. “He thinks systems really well. I think he thinks personnel. You can tell he has that sort of mindset. He just has the personality that suits someone who oversees the team in structure and (sets up) the team for success.”
Most likely to be a future broadcaster
Yeah, yeah, Foligno again, we get it. But … Teräväinen?
“I think he would love to,” Bedard said.
OK, maybe some guys weren’t taking this exercise all that seriously.
Not surprisingly, the chattier Blackhawks garnered most of the votes.
Vlasic picked Nazar: “He’s just talkative. He does well in front of the team. I think that’d suit him.”
Burakovsky on Nazar: “He just talks all the time.”
Arvid Söderblom picked Foligno: “He likes to talk a lot.”
Bertuzzi on Dickinson: “He’s just a good talker.”
Donato on Moore: “Very talkative, loves hockey. Can’t get enough of it.”
Who doesn’t get enough credit for their role on this team?
This list could look a lot different on the evening of March 6, once the trade deadline passes.
Mikheyev isn’t the flashiest Blackhawks player, but he might be the most appreciated within the room.
“Best penalty killer in the league,” Bedard said. “He would suck to play against.”
Added Ryan Greene: “Just the best penalty killer in the league. So hard to play against, so fast.”
Added Vlasic: “He’s the best penalty-killing forward in the league, works his ass off every single day. He’s not lighting up the scoresheet, but we wouldn’t be where we are without him, I don’t think.”
Defensive defensemen don’t get a lot of love from the outside world, either, but Murphy gets plenty from his teammates.
“A guy who is always in the trenches and doing the right thing, being a pro, showing up ready to practice hard,” Donato said. “But also doing all the things people hate doing, like blocking shots and being unselfish at times, and putting the team’s needs above his own.”
Grzelcyk singled out Dach, a bottom-six grinder who’s tried to carve out a niche as a physical force.
“Especially as a young guy, he’s willing to do whatever it takes, whether he has to step in and fight or recognize situations where he can be physical,” Grzelcyk said. “Also, he’s got underrated skill. He does a lot of different jobs.“
Slaggert, who knows what it’s like to be a healthy scratch, threw some laurels Lafferty’s way.
“He pushes everyone to be better on the ice,” Slaggert said. “Always has a smile on his face, no matter what the situation may be. He puts his best foot forward. It’s honestly inspiring and impressive. He’s been a great resource for me to lean on this year.”
Connor Bedard’s chirps have impressed his teammates. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
Best chirper
Now in his third season in the league, Bedard seems to be feeling himself on the ice. And not just with the puck on his stick.
“Bedsy’s actually got some good ones,” Lafferty said.
“I just feel like his play can back up the chirping,” Vlasic said. “I can’t say the same for myself.“
As much as Bertuzzi loathes talking to the media, he seems to love talking on the ice.
“He just keeps going all the time,” Burakovsky said.
“He gets in my ear quite a bit,” Slaggert said. “I don’t know if he chirps other teams as much, but definitely us.”
“He’s talking a lot during the games and trying to get under the opponents’ skin,” Söderblom said.
Once again, color Foligno — a relic of a different time, when the game was a little less, let’s say, gentlemanly — unimpressed.
“Oh, my God, we have terrible chirpers on our team,” he said. “Dach’s pretty funny.”
Most obnoxious in the group chat
One thing is clear from this year’s poll: If this truly is the end of Foligno’s Blackhawks career, the locker room will be fundamentally different next season.
“He’s not obnoxious, but he’s probably the most active in the group chat,” Knight said of the captain. “He’s like our team-services guy. He’s always coordinating things.”
Pickiest eater
Alas, we didn’t get a lot of specifics on this one.
“I’ve had dinner with (Slaggert) a few times,” Teräväinen said. “He doesn’t like his salad and stuff.”
“I’m trying to branch out,” Slaggert said. “I’m working on it.”
Most pure athlete
Lafferty downplayed this one.
“I’m OK,” he said.
Bedard disagreed.
“Unbelievable at everything,” he said of Lafferty.
Crevier’s sheer size won Murphy’s vote, but Burakovsky hasn’t seen much that’s impressed him.
“The only sports I’ve seen guys play is hockey and soccer,” he said. “And there’s not a lot of good soccer players in here, I’ll tell you that.”
The last person you want in charge of the team music
Anecdotally, as reporters, particularly during Spotify Wrapped season, it seems Nazar is the most current when it comes to new music. But his teammates find the variety a little lacking.
“It’d just be straight rap,” Bedard said of Nazar. “Which is fine, but I think guys would get annoyed.”
Levshunov’s win here seemed to be predicated on curiosity more than experience.
“I would love to hear what Arty would have to put on the music,” Knight said. “I’ve never heard his music, but I would love to (know) what he would have. I’m always intrigued by that.”
Said Greene: “I guess Arty, because he’d play some Russian stuff.”
Lafferty has just one ground rule: “(I’d pick) whoever’s going to play metal. That’s the only thing that’s off limits for me.”
Jason Dickinson, left, chats with Ryan Donato during a warmup. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
Who’d score the highest on an IQ test?
This has got to be a tough loss for Lafferty and Donato, who put in a combined seven years at Brown and Harvard, respectively. Dickinson might not have the college background, but anyone who’s spoken to him knows how thoughtful and analytically minded he is. Put it this way: If he is indeed traded, it’ll be a serious blow to Blackhawks beat reporters.
“He didn’t go to school, but I think (it’s) his overall intelligence,” Knight said.
Lafferty picked Knight, saying he’s “probably off the charts.”
Donato took a few strays on this one. That Harvard background is like having a crimson target on your back.
“I would hope it would be Donato because he went to Harvard,” Burakovsky said. “But he’s not super street-smart.”
“F—ing Donny went to Ivy League, didn’t he?” Dickinson said. “I don’t want to say Donny and give him his flowers.”
Nick Foligno, left, has fought three times this season, according to hockeyfights.com. (Megan Briggs / Getty Images)
Who would you least want to fight?
Finally, Foligno gets a win that’s not half-snark. The man can throw hands.
And he wants to.
“I would like to fight everyone on this team,” he said, echoing his sentiments from the 2024 poll. “So there’s not one person I wouldn’t want to fight.”
Crevier gives Zdeno Chara vibes, and nobody ever wanted to fight Chara, either.
“He’s just enormous,” Donato said. “You’re not getting close to him.”
“I would love it if Crevs got into more fights,” Knight said. “I think Crevs would be the scariest just with how sheer big he is.”
Levshunov got a vote from Lafferty, who called him “freakishly strong.”
“If he got angry at me, it could be a problem,” Lafferty said.
But Levshunov just wants everybody to love everybody.
“I like my teammates, actually,” he said. “I don’t want to fight my teammates.”