All 28 Blackhawks home games in 2021 will start at 7 p.m. CT or earlier.
With the division realignment and the change to exclusively intra-division games, the Hawks already knew they’d avoid late starts — all of their opponents are in either the Eastern or Central time zones.
But the NHL’s game time announcement Monday came with the news that even the Hawks’ weeknight home games in Chicago will no longer start at 7:30.
It makes sense, as the extra half-hour was primarily designed to accommodate fans stuck in rush-hour traffic. With no fans in attendance, the Hawks will align with the league’s typical custom of starting most games at 7 p.m. local time.
The Hawks will still play three 7:30 p.m. games but all three are away at Dallas (Feb. 9, March 9 and 11).
The Hawks will also play five matinees: Jan. 24 vs. Detroit (11:30 a.m.), Feb. 7 at Dallas (2 p.m.), March 7 vs. Tampa Bay (1:30 p.m.) and April 3 and 4 at Nashville (2 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively).
The full schedule, albeit with all times local — meaning away games at Detroit, Columbus, Carolina, Tampa Bay and Florida are listed in Eastern Time — is below:
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