The 2014–15 Chicago Blackhawks season was the 89th season for the NHL.
The Blackhawks finished the season with a 48–28–6 record, finishing in third place in the Central Division.
They defeated the Nashville Predators in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs 4 games to 2.
In the next round, they swept the Minnesota Wild 4 games to 0. In the Western Conference Finals, the Hawks outlasted the Anaheim Ducks, winning the series 4 games to 3. In the Stanley Cup Final, they faced the Tampa Bay Lightning.
On June 15, 2015, the team won the Stanley Cup, beating the Lightning 4 games to 2, and winning the Cup at home for the first time since 1938.
This was the Blackhawks' third Cup championship in six seasons. Duncan Keith received the Conn Smythe trophy as MVP of the playoffs.
Off-Season[]
On July 14, 2014, the Blackhawks announced that Kevin Dineen (a former teammate of head coach Joel Quenneville) had been hired as an assistant coach.
Pre-Season[]
The Chicago Blackhawks pre-season schedule included a September 28, 2014, exhibition game held at the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada against the Edmonton Oilers.
Team Leaders[]
- Goals: Jonathan Toews (28)
- Assists: Jonathan Toews (38)
- Points: Jonathan Toews (66)
- Penalties in minutes (PIM): Andrew Shaw (68)
- Plus/minus (+): Jonathan Toews (30); (−): Patrick Sharp & Andrew Shaw (−8)
- Wins: Corey Crawford (32)
- Goals against average: Antti Raanta (1.89)
Playoffs[]
The Chicago Blackhawks entered the playoffs as the Central Division's third seed.
The Blackhawks lost the last three games of the regular season, thus they did not win the Central Division title.
After defeating the Nashville Predators 4–2 in the first round, they went on to sweep the Minnesota Wild in the second round, and defeated the Anaheim Ducks, 4-3 in the Western Conference Final.
It was only the third time in Blackhawks history that they had won a playoff series after trailing 3 games to 2.
On May 19, 2015, the Blackhawks played the longest game in their history (116:12) against the Anaheim Ducks as part of the Western Conference Finals. They defeated Anaheim in game 7 and moved on to face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final.
On June 15, 2015, Chicago won the Stanley Cup in game six with a score of 2–0. This marked the Blackhawks third Stanley Cup victory in six seasons.
This was the first Blackhawks Stanley Cup clinched on home ice in 77 years, having won the decisive games in 2010 and 2013 titles on the road and the first time a Stanley Cup title has been won in Chicago since 1992 when the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Blackhawks at Chicago Stadium.
It was also the first time any Chicago sports team won a Championship at home since the Chicago Bulls in 1997.
Awards[]
| Player | Award | Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Kane | NHL Second Star of the Month | January 2, 2015 |
| Jonathan Toews | NHL All-Star game selection | January 10, 2015 |
| Patrick Kane | NHL All-Star game selection | January 10, 2015 |
| Corey Crawford | NHL All-Star game selection | January 10, 2015 |
| Duncan Keith | NHL All-Star game selection | January 10, 2015 |
| Brent Seabrook | NHL All-Star game selection | January 10, 2015 |
| Jonathan Toews | NHL All-Star game captain | January 14, 2015 |
| Patrick Kane | NHL All-Star game assistant captain | January 14, 2015 |
| Marian Hossa | NHL First Star of the Week | February 16, 2015 |
Milestones[]
| Player | Milestone | Reached |
|---|---|---|
| Trevor van Riemsdyk | 1st career NHL game | October 9, 2014 |
| Ben Smith | 100th career NHL game | October 21, 2014 |
| Scott Darling | 1st career NHL game 1st career NHL win |
October 26, 2014 |
| Patrick Kane | 500th career NHL point | October 26, 2014 |
| Marian Hossa | 1,100th career NHL game 1,000th career NHL point |
October 30, 2014 |
| Johnny Oduya | 600th career NHL game | November 2, 2014 |
| Niklas Hjalmarsson | 400th career NHL game | November 4, 2014 |
| Jonathan Toews | 200th career NHL goal | November 4, 2014 |
| Duncan Keith | 700th career NHL game | November 7, 2014 |
| Trevor van Riemsdyk | 1st career NHL assist 1st career NHL point |
November 9, 2014 |
| Jonathan Toews | 500th career NHL game | November 11, 2014 |
| Brad Richards | 1,000th career NHL game | November 16, 2014 |
| Brent Seabrook | 700th career NHL game | November 20, 2014 |
| Adam Clendening | 1st career NHL game 1st career NHL goal 1st career NHL point |
November 20, 2014 |
| Brad Richards | 600th career NHL assist | November 20, 2014 |
| Phillip Danault | 1st career NHL game | November 22, 2014 |
| Daniel Carcillo | 400th career NHL game | November 22, 2014 |
| Adam Clendening | 1st career NHL assist | November 22, 2014 |
| Bryan Bickell | 300th career NHL game | November 23, 2014 |
| Brent Seabrook | 300th career NHL point | November 26, 2014 |
| Klas Dahlbeck | 1st career NHL game | December 6, 2014 |
| Klas Dahlbeck | 1st career NHL goal 1st career NHL point |
December 11, 2014 |
| Patrick Sharp | 700th career NHL game | December 29, 2014 |
| Patrick Sharp | 500th career NHL point | December 29, 2014 |
| Andrew Shaw | 200th career NHL game | January 1, 2015 |
| Brandon Saad | 100th career NHL point | January 9, 2015 |
| Teuvo Teravainen | 1st career NHL goal 1st career NHL point |
January 16, 2015 |
| Patrick Kane | 200th career NHL goal | January 20, 2015 |
| Teuvo Teravainen | 1st career NHL assist | January 20, 2015 |
| Duncan Keith | 400th career NHL point | January 30, 2015 |
| Daniel Carcillo | 100th career NHL point | February 8, 2015 |
| Ryan Hartman | 1st career NHL game | February 13, 2015 |
| Brad Richards | 900th career NHL point | March 12, 2015 |
| Scott Darling | 1st career NHL shutout | March 18, 2015 |
| Kimmo Timonen | 1100th career NHL game | March 21, 2015 |
| Jonathan Toews | 500th career NHL point | March 23, 2015 |
| David Rundblad | 100th career NHL game | March 27, 2015 |
| Brandon Saad | 200th career NHL game | March 27, 2015 |
| Andrew Shaw | 100th career NHL point | March 30, 2015 |
| Niklas Hjalmarsson | 100th career NHL point | March 30, 2015 |
| Kyle Baun | 1st career NHL game | April 7, 2015 |
| Michael Paliotta | 1st career NHL game 1st career NHL assist 1st career NHL point |
April 11, 2015 |
Transactions[]
Player Trades[]
| Date | ||
| June 27, 2014 | To San Jose Sharks 1st-round pick in 2014 NHL Entry Draft Florida Panthers' 3rd-round pick in 2014 NHL Entry Draft |
To Chicago Blackhawks 1st-round pick in 2014 NHL Entry Draft New York Rangers' 6th-round pick in 2014 NHL Entry Draft |
| June 28, 2014 | To Calgary Flames Brandon Bollig |
To Chicago Blackhawks Pittsburgh Penguins' 3rd round pick in 2014 NHL Entry Draft |
| October 4, 2014 | To New York Islanders Nick Leddy Kent Simpson |
To Chicago Blackhawks T.J. Brennan Anders Nilsson Ville Pokka |
| December 14, 2014 | To Columbus Blue Jackets Jeremy Morin |
To Chicago Blackhawks Tim Erixon |
| January 29, 2015 | To Vancouver Canucks Adam Clendening |
To Chicago Blackhawks Gustav Forsling |
| February 26, 2015 | To Toronto Maple Leafs T.J. Brennan |
To Chicago Blackhawks Spencer Abbott |
| February 27, 2015 | To Philadelphia Flyers 2nd-round pick in 2015 conditional 4th-round pick in 2016 NHL Entry Draft |
To Chicago Blackhawks Kimmo Timonen |
| February 28, 2015 | To Arizona Coyotes Klas Dahlbeck 1st-round pick in 2015 NHL Entry Draft |
To Chicago Blackhawks Antoine Vermette |
| March 2, 2015 | To San Jose Sharks Ben Smith Conditional 7th-round pick in 2017 NHL Entry Draft |
To Chicago Blackhawks Andrew Desjardins |
Acquired Free Agents[]
| Date | Player | Former team | Contract terms (in U.S. dollars]]) |
| July 1, 2014 | Scott Darling | Milwaukee Admirals | 1 year, $550,000 |
| July 1, 2014 | Cody Bass | Columbus Blue Jackets | 1 year, $550,000 |
| July 1, 2014 | Pierre-Cedric Labrie | Tampa Bay Lightning | 1 year, $550,000 |
| July 1, 2014 | Brad Richards | New York Rangers | 1 year, $2 million |
| July 2, 2014 | Kyle Cumiskey | Modo Hockey | 1 year, $600,000 |
| August 18, 2014 | Michael Leighton | HC Donbass | 1 year, $550,000 |
| October 5, 2014 | Daniel Carcillo | New York Rangers | 1 year, $550,000 |
| March 26, 2015 | Kyle Baun | Colgate University | 2 years, entry-level contract |
| April 2, 2015 | Tanner Kero | Michigan Tech University | 2 years, entry-level contract |
| April 30, 2015 | Erik Gustafsson | Frolunda HC | 2 years |
| May 1, 2015 | Artemi Panarin | SKA Saint Petersburg | 2 years |
Lost Free Agents[]
| Date | Player | New team<td Contract terms (in U.S. dollars) > |
|
| August 20, 2014 | Kevin Hayes | New York Rangers | 2 years, $7.5 million |
| May 11, 2015 | Peter Regin | Jokerit | Undisclosed |
Players Claimed Via Waivers[]
Players Lost Via Waivers[]
| Player | New team | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Tim Erixon | Toronto Maple Leafs | March 1, 2015 |
Player Signings[]
| Date | Player | Contract terms (in U.S. dollars) | |
| June 27, 2014 | Ben Smith | 2 years, $3 million contract extension | |
| June 27, 2014 | Antti Raanta | 2 years, $1.5 million contract extension | |
| June 27, 2014 | Jeremy Morin | 2 years, $1.6 million contract extension | |
| July 1, 2014 | Peter Regin | 1 year, $650,000 | |
| July 9, 2014 | Patrick Kane | 8 years, $84 million contract extension | |
| July 9, 2014 | Jonathan Toews | 8 years, $84 million contract extension | |
| February 22, 2015 | Scott Darling | 2 years, contract extension | |
| March 21, 2015 | Vincent Hinostroza | 3 years, entry-level contract | |
| March 26, 2015 | Michael Paliotta | 2 years, entry-level contract |
Suspensions & Fines[]
| Player | Explanation | Length | Salary | Date issued |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joakim Nordstrom | Boarding on Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson during NHL Game No. 1011 in Arizona on Thursday, March 12, 2015, at 19:22 of the third period. | 2 games | $6,630.82 | March 13, 2015 |
| Andrew Shaw | Diving/Embellishment during a game against the Los Angeles Kings in Chicago on Monday, March 30, 2015, at 5:24 of the first period. | — | $2,000.00 | April 10, 2015 |
Draft Picks[]
| Round | # | Player | Pos | Nationality | College/junior/club team (league) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Nick Schmaltz | C | USA | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) |
| 3 | 83 | Matheson Iacopelli | RW | USA | Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL) |
| 3 | 88 | Beau Starrett | C/LW | USA | South Shore Kings (USPHL PRE.) |
| 4 | 98 | Frederik Olofsson | LW | SWE | Chicago Steel (USHL) |
| 5 | 141 | Luc Snuggerud | D | USA | Eden Prairie High School (USHS–MN]) |
| 5 | 148 | Andreas Soderberg | D | SWE | Skelleftea Jr. (SWEDEN-JR.) |
| 6 | 178 | Dylan Sora | C | CAN | Aurora Tigers (OJHL) |
| 6 | 179 | Ivan Nalimov | G | RUS | SKA Saint Petersburg-2 (Russia-Jr.) |
| 7 | 208 | Jack Ramsey | RW | USA | Penticton Vees (BCHL) |
Player Gallery[]
<gallery> Seabrook2014.jpg|#7 Brent Seabrook (Defenseman) Keith2014.jpg|#2 Duncan Keith (Defenseman) Crawford 2014.jpg|#50 Corey Crawford (Goaltender) Morin 2014-15.jpg|#11 Jeremy Morin (Left Wing) Saad 2014-15.jpg|#20 Brandon Saad (Left Wing) Raanta 2014-15 season.jpg|#31 Antti Raanta (Goaltender) Hartman 2014-15 headshot.jpg|#38 Ryan Hartman (Left Wing) Andrew shaw 2014-15 season.jpg|#65 Andrew Shaw (Right Wing) Kversteeg 2014-15 season.jpg|#23 Kris Versteeg (Right Wing) Sharp2014-15season.jpg|#10 Patrick Sharp (Left Wing) Bensmith2014-15season.jpg|#28 Ben Smith (Right Wing) Kane2014-15season.jpg|#88 Patrick Kane (Right Wing) Toews2014-15.jpg|#19 Jonathan Toews [Captain] (Center) Oduya2014-15.jpg|#27 Johnny Oduya (Defenseman) Tvr2014.jpg|#57 Trevor van Riemsdyk (Defenseman) Schmaltz2014draftportrait.jpg|Nick Schmaltz (Center) [drafted in 1st round of 2014 NHL Entry Draft, 20th overall] Beau Starrett.jpg|Beau Starrett (Center\Left Wing) [drafted in 3rd round of 2014 NHL Entry Draft, 88th overall] Luc Snuggerud.jpg|Luc Snuggerud (Defenseman) [drafted in 5th round of 2014 NHL Entry Draft, 141st overall] <gallery>