CHICAGO — Colin Blackwell did everything on the day of the NHL trade deadline as if he would remain with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Blackwell knew that wasn’t a guarantee, but that’s how he had to go about the day to maintain his sanity.
The Blackhawks were leaving Friday after the trade deadline for a one-game road trip to play the Washington Capitals, and that’s all Blackwell packed for. He didn’t have a second bag ready to go in case he was dealt to another team. He planned to go to Washington, D.C., and return to Chicago.
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Even as he joined the Blackhawks on Friday morning and got on the ice at noon for practice, he fought any thoughts of being traded.
“I’ve been through it in the past,” the 30-year-old Blackwell said. “It’s kind of one of those things where, look, don’t try to think about it. Clocks were going down, clocks were ticking, I hadn’t heard anything. I knew that if somebody came and got me that would have been the indication. But for me, honestly, it was business as usual.”
That said, Blackwell did have a conversation with Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson on Thursday where Blackwell expressed his desire to remain with the Blackhawks. As exciting as joining a playoff contender might be, Blackwell was enjoying himself too much on and off the ice to leave. Plus, he recently learned his wife was expecting their first child and stability would seem nice. If Blackwell had his choice, he’d stick with the Blackhawks through the deadline and well beyond.
FIRST CAREER HAT TRICK FOR COLIN BLACKWELL pic.twitter.com/ifpaEGt3L3
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 11, 2024
Again, though, Blackwell wasn’t sure whether his talk would have any impact on his future. He had seen some of the trades going down on the day and thought the market favored the buyers over the sellers. That seemed as if it might benefit, but it was him guessing. He knew a few teams had put out feelers on him.
It wasn’t until Blackwell was headed in a car toward O’Hare Airport to get on the Blackhawks’ flight that he learned he was safe. His wife texted him that Davidson had met with the media and no other trades had been executed.
Blackwell was still a Blackhawk.
“I was hoping I was going to stay here,” Blackwell said. “I have a lot going on. This is where I wanted to be. That’s ultimately what happened. My wife and I were pretty happy about it.”
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Two days later, Blackwell had the game of his career.
In his 226th NHL game, Blackwell scored his first career hat trick Sunday as part of a Blackhawks’ 7-4 win over the Arizona Coyotes. And he achieved it in very much Colin Blackwell fashion. He scored the first as he battled for position in front of the net and knocked home a rebound. On the second, he and his linemates forechecked to win the puck in the offensive zone, and Blackwell again got position in front of the net and buried another rebound. The final one came on an empty-netter, but that could be deemed as good karma for trying to set up Connor Bedard for his own hat trick on a two-on-one rush earlier in the third period.
As much as the Blackhawks’ fans were pulling for Bedard to get his hat trick, Bedard and the rest of the Blackhawks couldn’t have been happier for Blackwell to do it.
“If I was any good, I’d put it in,” Bedard said of the two-on-one rush. “But unfortunately it slid off. It was a nice play by Blackie and it ended up working out with him getting the third.”
More than liking Blackwell as a person and player, his teammates could also put the achievement in the context of Blackwell’s past year. They saw what he went through to get back after having sports hernia surgery in March of 2023.
“It was a long road,” said Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones, who had four assists in the win. “We saw him in here all the time, working and grinding. I know he was here all summer, in the offseason this past summer, working to try to get better. He did and he’s been a big part of that (Jason) Dickinson line. Especially at home when we match them up against top lines, they shut down those guys and they do a phenomenal job playing that role. Dicky and him, to have a hat trick tonight, they’ve been scoring a lot this year, creating offensively as well.”
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Blackwell went into the details of his recovery during an emotional interview when he first returned to the Blackhawks. There were days when hockey seemed unrealistic for him in the future. But he never gave up hope.
“I believe in myself,” Blackwell said. “It’s kind of how it’s always been. If I didn’t believe in myself, I would have given up a long time ago. But, yeah, it’s been a long 12 months. To be honest with you, that’s in the past. I feel really good right now. I think I played 35 games right now. It’s kind of one of those things, that’s a majority of a season, halfway through. I’ve been putting in the work. It’s nice to get rewarded. But for me, some of the stuff that happened in the past year, it’s in the past and I feel good.
“I thought my first stretch of games I (was) trying to find my legs, find my confidence. Now it’s kind of second nature. It’s good to know some of that stuff is in the past. I can just focus on playing hockey and not worry about some of the other stuff that goes on in the hockey world. The trade deadline’s passed. Hockey’s fun, so when you get back to playing and stuff like that and playing the role I think I envision myself playing when I first got here, so it’s been good for me to get that confidence back.”
#Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/Fu8Ih8CnRv
— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) March 11, 2024
The Blackhawks’ line of Blackwell, Dickinson and Joey Anderson has arguably been their best of the season. In 216 minutes of five-on-five ice time, the line has had a 54.67 expected goals percentage, according to Natural Stat Trick, and it’s often been against opponents’ top lines.
From that perspective, Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson understood why Blackwell would want to stay in Chicago.
“I think he’s enjoying the success that that line has had and you don’t always, you can say you want to bring in a guy for a certain role, but when you find like a really good chemistry between two or three guys or a pairing, a defense pairing, or a power-play unit, I think they really understand there’s a special connection there and they’re making the most of it,” Richardson said. “If he goes off on his own somewhere or some other guy on the line goes off somewhere, it might not be the same. I think you realize when there’s something really good in hockey, you know it’s not going to last forever, but if you’re having success, why not stick with it as long as you can? I think that’s what he’s going to enjoy for the rest of the year.”
Blackwell would love the opportunity to do that with the Blackhawks for even longer. He knows the first part of his ride with the Blackhawks didn’t go as anyone wanted, but he’s hopeful Davidson recognizes what he’s doing now and will continue to do throughout the rest of the season that he’s worth signing again.
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Blackwell believes he has something to offer the Blackhawks as they continue their rebuilding process.
“I’ve been here for a year and a half, two years, but new team,” Blackwell said. “Some of the younger guys, I mesh with them, gel with them pretty well. I like that role. I’ve been through a lot in my career, but some ups and downs. Not everybody knows my story, and I think in some locker rooms I have some advice and maybe some different perspective for some of these young guys. That’s kind of how I’ve been trying to approach it, trying to take some of them under my wing. I enjoy that opportunity.”
Time will tell whether Blackwell remains with the Blackhawks even longer, but he’s there now and he’s making the most of it.
(Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski / USA Today)