Historically, we’ve held our Chicago Blackhawks fan survey later in the summer, after the draft and free agency. That tends to be a time of optimism, with new blood infusing the franchise with new excitement. So this time, we wanted to get a sense of what the mood was right at the end of another long and trying season, as the rebuild marches slowly on.
The end of last season brought some hope with Frank Nazar’s scoring surge and some quality wins down the stretch. This season, the hope came early — the Blackhawks were in playoff contention for much of the first half, and Connor Bedard took a massive leap into superstardom before suffering a shoulder injury Dec. 12. The ending was a lot more bleak. After trading away three key veteran pieces in Connor Murphy, Jason Dickinson and captain Nick Foligno, the Blackhawks lost 11 of their last 14 games.
We know how owner Danny Wirtz feels about the rebuild; he just gave general manager Kyle Davidson a contract extension. But how do fans feel? Do they believe the Blackhawks are on their way to a Montreal- or Buffalo-like Renaissance, or are they destined to be stuck in the mud like Detroit for years to come?
Nearly 2,500 fans took our survey. Here are the results, with your thoughts and comments (which have been lightly edited for style and clarity):
Blackhawks fans have landed in the middle in their confidence level for Wirtz over the last two years. A score of 3 came in at a question-high 38.7 percent when we last conducted this survey in July 2025. What changed was that he received more 4 and 5 votes than he did last time. Those votes accounted for 33.5 percent of the total votes last time and now account for 45.2 percent. It is clear Blackhawks fans still haven’t forgiven Wirtz or Jerry Reinsdorf for the CHSN rollout.
“It’s hard to pass positive or negative judgment on the rebuild, Danny Wirtz and Kyle Davidson. They set this plan into motion years ago, knowing it was going to take five-plus years without directly saying that to fans. They’ve stuck to that plan and the kids have arrived. This year was a step forward, and next year needs to be another step forward — not necessarily playoffs, but contending for a wild-card spot at least. Fans are getting restless, and if they don’t make some sort of push, they risk losing fans and falling into a now Detroit-level state.”
“My concerns with Danny Wirtz are that the Blackhawks seem more businesslike than they did under Rocky. Between selling ad space on the jerseys, being extremely stingy with game-day giveaways and the CHSN fiasco, I have concerns that the team is more focused on the bottom line like the Bill Wirtz days rather than building and maintaining a rabid fanbase.”
“I won’t take any Wirtz (or Reinsdorf) seriously until they address the NUMEROUS CHSN app problems, including the price.”
Fans are behind Davidson, who is four years into the job. His 4 score was the highest again, but it came even higher than the 37.9 percent last time. Most of his scores, though, were in the same ballpark as before. Another reminder that the mood on social media doesn’t necessarily reflect the mood of the fanbase at large.
“Davidson is at a 4 for me right now, but needs to do something to help Bedard get a better winger. If he can’t do that and we can’t take a step to the playoffs this year, he drops to a 3.”
“Lot of skeptics right now on Davidson and while I do think it’s unacceptable to be at the bottom of the league for four years straight, I still think the future is ridiculously bright.”
“I really don’t understand the hate directed at Davidson. He was clear that it was going to take time. I really feel like we are getting close. Players need time to develop.”
“We are entering the next phase of the rebuild. Davidson did a good job accumulating picks, and so far, the draft picks are trending well. The next question is, is Davidson the man to take them to a new level? Can he make the right trades to fill the gaps?”
“Kyle has done OK, but (his contract) extension is a season early. Success going forward depends on either developing the picks he’s made or acquiring complementary pieces to make the club successful in the near term. Not saying he can’t do it, but we haven’t seen proof he’s succeeding yet, and there have been indications development isn’t going as well as needed. Anyone can tank and draft high; success comes from what you do with those assets.”
“I genuinely like what KD has done, I just worry about relying on or having too much faith in everyone he’s drafted. Sometimes you need to be aggressive and get a known commodity.”
Fans have come around on coach Jeff Blashill since he was hired. He received 54.2 percent of 3s after he came aboard. He did lose some fans by sticking with André Burakovsky as long as he did on the top line.
“Stay with Blashill, get two solid veterans to show the youngsters how pros prepare and compete.”
“I don’t see Blashill as the ‘next step’ coach but I do think they need a consistent voice for a couple more seasons.”
“As for Blashill, I think Season 1 was OK. It’s about what we expected. I think if they flatline out of the gate to start the season, his seat gets hot. Otherwise I’m not sure he’s the coach to contend with, but I like him in the short term.”
“I expected growing pains, especially after Bedard was hurt and the vets were traded. The most disappointing aspect of this season and the thing that gives me the most pause going forward is how long Blashill stuck with Burakovsky on Bedard’s top line. Burakovsky was a shell of himself after his injury and killed this team offensively more times than I can count. I have minimal confidence in Blashill moving forward.”
Fans weren’t too harsh in their grading. Though the Blackhawks finished with the second-worst record, they received mostly C’s. They received nine A votes and 97 F’s.
“This season was crucial for the young D-corps. With all of them under 25 down the stretch, they should have been getting shellacked. But they held their own. Very impressive for arguably the toughest developmental position. That experience will prove huge.”
“Overall, the Blackhawks had a promising season but never delivered. Showed signs of improvement, just need to be more consistent.”
“Slightly underwhelming season, but lots to be positive about.”
“Season was fine. We were in the playoff hunt until Bedard and Nazar went down. After that, the playoffs weren’t realistic, so it was best to bottom out for a high pick.”
As expected, Bedard was the runaway winner. Spencer Knight came in a solid second and was followed by Tyler Bertuzzi. Louis Crevier got a couple of votes, along with a few other players.
This result was the expected one, too. Burakovsky had such a massive collapse to his season, with just one goal and three assists over his final 37 games — many of which came with Bedard as his primary linemate. The fact Teuvo Teräväinen, usually a fan favorite, finished second says a lot about his season, too.
“Time for Burakovsky and Teuvo to go.”
“Burakovsky must be bottom-six or bought out/traded”
Unsurprisingly, the votes here were pretty similar to Davidson’s results. Fans are mostly in the 3 and 4 range. There was slightly less of a gap between those scores last year, so the rebuild has gained some additional support.
“Do not listen to the new loud faction of people complaining about the rebuild. There was barely a whisper for 90 percent of the season.”
“I think they are on the right track, finally. The young kids coming up are exciting and they’ll continue to get better and better. They’ll contend for the playoffs next year and make it the following year, if not sooner.”
“If I had known this is what a full teardown would feel like four years into the process, I would not have been in favor of it. That being said, the struggles the last few weeks of the regular season likely over-influence that opinion.”
“The distorted reality of the Blackhawks makes me feel gaslit as a hockey observer. They extended the GM after three consecutive seasons of finishing 31st, after the same GM said two years ago that the rebuild needed to take the next step.”
“I remember a few years ago when we were so hyped for Ian Mitchell and Adam Boqvist simply because the cupboard was so empty. So the fact that this team is staying in games, often taking them to OT and still has the No. 1 prospect pool is really promising. I’d love to finally land a big name in free agency like Jason Robertson, but it’s kind of exciting knowing that bringing in someone like that really messes up the pipeline and keeps an NHL-capable player in the AHL.”
“Just be better, please.”
This was one of those questions that seemed like a toss-up. More fans are concerned with the offense over the defense. Knight has done a lot to squash worries about the goaltending.
“Overall, the Blackhawks need to improve their scoring by at least 0.7 goals per game, 56 more goals over an 82-game season than the 2025-2026 season. They need two main things to accomplish that: First is they need more scorers, players that can finish; new players who are better finishers and serious coaching up with existing young players like Nick Lardis. The second major step is coaching shooting accuracy and effectiveness with our young defense.”
“Need help on D, both long and short term. Kind of hoping to pick D in the draft.”
“My biggest concern with the Blackhawks is their lack of edge with their defense. No one causes any fear in opponents to attack the Hawks’ crease and camp out in front of Spencer Knight.”
Two years in a row, fans have put an expectation of making the playoffs in the 2027-28 season. Last year, they had a 0.9 percent hope of this past season, 33.7 percent for the 2026-27 season and 46.6 percent for the 2027-28 season. The latter has increased to 57 percent this time.
“It’s probably too optimistic with the strength of the Central Division for them to reach the playoffs next season, but they could get tantalizingly close. However, with a strong No. 2 star to play with Bedard and continued development from all of the young players, they should realistically be expecting to make the playoffs in 2027-28.”
“I actually think they’re closer to competing for a playoff spot than most. How many games did they (throw) away in the third period this year, either losing in regulation or in OT? Quite a few. I think a solid veteran leader on the back end would help the core five, six young defensemen immensely.”
“I long for the days of playoff hockey in Chicago. I remember the sad days in the early 2000s and I remember the fight we had in the ’90s. The three Cups in my adult era were magical. I would love for the Hawks to start competing next year. Chicago needs this.”
“There can be no more bottom-five finishes. Period. They don’t need to make the playoffs next season, but legitimate improvement must be made, and they need to be in the race late in the season.”
Fans have wanted a star forward to go along with Bedard for some time. They’ve made that clear again. Of course, adding a top-six-caliber player is easier said than done. It likely won’t happen in free agency, given the dearth of star talent that’ll be available.
“It’s time for GM KD to quit messing around and get No. 98 his running mate for the future!”
“Most of the fanbase is obsessed with finding a scoring winger for Bedard’s line. And I do agree that it’s a need. But what about a No. 1 defenseman? High draft capital has been used on Artyom Levshunov and Kevin Korchinski, but what if neither is that guy?”
“Need a vet, D-man, just to stabilize the kids. Preferably with some grit. Need to leave room up front for kids coming. I don’t see a top wing being available and (there’s) no point overpaying. Use the Florida and Edmonton picks (in trades) but not their own.”
“Keep drafting and developing, but we need some defense-first D-men and at least one vet on the blue line. Getting wings with chemistry with our top-two centers matters.”
“It’s great to see the light at the end of the tunnel for this rebuild. While we still need a few pieces, you can see the structure coming together and the next waves of prospects on the horizon. Stay the course!”
“Time to start paying for veteran free agents that can play and not players whose better days are behind them.”
“The Hawks are lacking two physical players — one forward, one defenseman. I have watched the playoffs and the Hawks would be blown out of the building by the physicality of the playoff teams.”
Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg finished first and second, as expected, here. Given how little actual exposure most fans (and most writers!) have to these prospects, we appreciate the people who said they just didn’t know.
“I like Stenberg’s all-200-foot game for the Blackhawks’ future more than McKenna. But if the Hawks are picking between McKenna and Stenberg, I’d keep the pick. Not interested in another young D.”
“You can’t pass on McKenna. Even the most patient fans will revolt against Davidson if he does.”
“With a top-two pick, we’re golden. Without it, we’re still rebuilding.”
“I’m really hoping the Hawks can draft Ivar Stenberg. Him on a line with Frondell for the next 15 years would be so much fun to watch.”
It’s interesting that, if the Blackhawks don’t get the No. 1 pick, 78 percent of voters would like to see them trade the pick to bring in a proven forward. And plenty of them would still be willing to move the No. 1 pick for the right star forward.
“We desperately need to stay top-two in the draft this year. If not, we should trade up to the top two or package the pick for (Matthew) Knies or Robertson.”
“It’s time to make a move. KD has shown (guts) in the past when he tried to get the pick to acquire Ivan Demidov. It needs to be that level type of move. … Even a top-two pick should be on the table if it means an elite-tier player like Robertson.”
Frank Nazar was probably the obvious choice. He’s further ahead than any of the other players on the list. He’s also a fan favorite on what could be a very team-friendly contract if he reaches his potential. Nick Lardis came in third behind Nazar and Levshunov.
“Really struggled with (this question) because I don’t think any of those guys are, or should be, untouchable, but I ultimately went with Lardis as most untouchable. The team struggled with lots of different stats, but goals scored were a huge issue, and Lardis has that knack for scoring. That’s not easy to find these days, especially out of the first round.”
No pressure, Roman. Kantserov and Lardis have a chance to be Davidson’s draft steals. The first step will be the Blackhawks signing Kantserov, which could come after his season.
“Kantserov is going to light the lamp, get him to Chicago!”
“Excited to see Kantserov and a full season of Lardis on the offensive side.”
Jason Robertson topped the list, which shouldn’t be a surprise. He’s 26 and already is a three-time 40-goal scorer, including 45 goals this year. It’s tantalizing to imagine him on Bedard’s left wing. It’s a little surprising how close Matthew Knies was here, and how few fans were interested in an elite playmaker such as Robert Thomas.
“I’m happy we’ve drafted so much speed and skill to this point of the rebuild but the Hawks looked overmatched physically after the trade deadline. Team needs to add some grit somehow.”
“Knies is vastly overrated and not worth a top-four pick, let alone any additional assets!”
“Knies or Robertson would look great in Hawks sweaters.”
“I know lots of folks are ready to chuck picks and prospects out the door to get a Thomas, Knies or Robertson. Everyone keeps pointing to needing to find our Marian Hossa, but you can’t build a plan around hopes that someone like that reaches free agency or can be traded for.”
If you were able to watch Rick Ball and Darren Pang, you pretty much loved them. They were mostly in the A-B range for a second consecutive season. The A’s went from 31.9 percent last year to 40.9 percent this year.
“Rick Ball is the best play-by-play announcer in the league. Panger is a rock star color commentator.”
“Love Rick Ball and Darren Pang, they make watching the game way more fun.”
Steve Konroyd had difficult shoes to fill this season with Troy Murray’s illness and passing. Fans appear to have taken to Konroyd with longtime favorite John Wiedeman.
The CHSN in-studio show received mostly positive B’s. The C votes came in second.
The good news for the Blackhawks is that more people are getting CHSN. The bad news is that a lot of people don’t like the network and/or viewing experience.
“Tried CHSN and it had too many glitches, so I had to cancel. Most disappointing part of the season.”
“Other teams are utilizing a free system to watch games in their market. The Blackhawks have gotten a lot of support with good crowds for a below-average team the past few years. Stop penny-pinching and bring back the free option through an antenna or over your website. The fans deserve that.”
“Seems silly to mention, but the CHSN app is awful.”
“When CHSN cut the deal with Comcast and dropped over-the-air access, I lost my access to the games. I am a season ticket holder and complained and they gave me free access. I doubt that will happen again. Losing OTA was a horrible decision that left many without Hawks broadcasts. With Marquee going to Hulu, why don’t the Hawks ditch CHSN and join Marquee? Reinsdorf can stay or go.”
This was another near-unanimous one.
People still love the black jerseys. Nostalgia sells.
“Black alternate jerseys are excellent, top-notch, love them.”
“Those black jerseys look good, but are cursed.”
“Never let the black jerseys go. Keep them in the rotation more often.”