Blackhawks open season against Stars

By Mike Spellman

mspellman@dailyherald.com

The Blackhawks open the 2011-12 regular season with back-to-back, home-and-home games against the Dallas Stars Oct. 7-8 and host the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins a few days later, but it’s Nov. 6 that will probably be the first date circled on most Hawks fans’ calendars.

That’s when the Sedin twins lead rival Vancouver back to the United Center for the first time since the Canucks eliminated the Hawks in the opening round of the NHL Playoffs.

Other games of note include a visit by Winnipeg (formerly the Atlanta Thrashers) on Oct. 13, the only time the two teams will meet; a trip to Pittsburgh on Dec. 20, followed by a home games against Montreal the very next day.

The Hawks don’t play division rival Detroit until Dec. 30 but, as has been the case of late, they will close out the regular season against the Red Wings.

In addition to the annual “circus trip” in November, the Hawks open the second half of the season with a marathon 9-gamer, featuring stops in western Canada, California and Arizona before wrapping it up with a swing through Nashville, New York and Columbus. The nine-game trip is the organization’s longest since 1994.

2011-12 Blackhawks regular season schedule

Fri Oct. 7, 2011: Blackhawks at Stars, 7:30 p.m.

Sat Oct. 8, 2011: Stars at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Thu Oct. 13, 2011: Winnipeg at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Sat Oct. 15, 2011: Bruins at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Tue Oct. 18, 2011: Blackhawks at Coyotes, 9 p.m.

Thu Oct. 20, 2011: Blackhawks at Avalanche, 8 p.m.

Sat Oct. 22, 2011: Avalanche at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Tue Oct. 25, 2011: Ducks at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Fri Oct. 28, 2011: Blackhawks at Hurricanes, 6 p.m.

Sat Oct. 29, 2011: Blue Jackets at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Mon Oct. 31, 2011: Predators at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Thu Nov. 3, 2011: Blackhawks at Panthers, 6:30 p.m.

Fri Nov. 4, 2011: Blackhawks at Lightning, 6:30 p.m.

Sun Nov. 6, 2011: Canucks at Blackhawks, 6 p.m.

Tue Nov. 8, 2011: Blackhawks at Blues, 7 p.m.

Thu Nov. 10, 2011: Blackhawks at Blue Jackets, 6 p.m.

Fri Nov. 11, 2011: Flames at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Sun Nov. 13, 2011: Oilers at Blackhawks, 6 p.m.

Wed Nov. 16, 2011: Blackhawks at Canucks, 9 p.m.

Fri Nov. 18, 2011: Blackhawks at Flames, 8 p.m.

Sat Nov. 19, 2011: Blackhawks at Oilers, 9 p.m.

Wed Nov. 23, 2011: Blackhawks at Sharks, 9:30 p.m.

Fri Nov. 25, 2011: Blackhawks at Ducks, 3 p.m.

Sat Nov. 26, 2011: Blackhawks at Kings, 9:30 p.m.

Tue Nov. 29, 2011: Coyotes at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Fri Dec. 2, 2011: Islanders at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Sat Dec. 3, 2011: Blackhawks at Blues, 7 p.m.

Mon Dec. 5, 2011: Coyotes at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Thu Dec. 8, 2011: Blackhawks at Islanders, 6 p.m.

Sun Dec. 11, 2011: Sharks at Blackhawks, 6 p.m.

Wed Dec. 14, 2011: Blackhawks at Wild, 7 p.m.

Fri Dec. 16, 2011: Ducks at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Sun Dec. 18, 2011: Flames at Blackhawks, 6 p.m.

Tue Dec. 20, 2011: Blackhawks at Penguins, 6 p.m.

Wed Dec. 21, 2011: Canadiens at Blackhawks, 6:30 p.m.

Mon Dec. 26, 2011: Blue Jackets at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Wed Dec. 28, 2011: Kings at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Fri Dec. 30, 2011: Red Wings at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Mon Jan. 2, 2012: Oilers at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Thu Jan. 5, 2012: Blackhawks at Flyers, 6 p.m.

Fri Jan. 6, 2012: Avalanche at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Sun Jan. 8, 2012: Red Wings at Blackhawks, 6:30 p.m.

Tue Jan. 10, 2012: Blue Jackets at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Thu Jan. 12, 2012: Wild at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Sat Jan. 14, 2012: Blackhawks at Red Wings, 11:30 a.m.

Sun Jan. 15, 2012: Sharks at Blackhawks, 6 p.m.

Wed Jan. 18, 2012: Sabres at Blackhawks, 6:30 p.m.

Fri Jan. 20, 2012: Panthers at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Sat Jan. 21, 2012: Blackhawks at Predators, 7 p.m.

Tue Jan. 24, 2012: Predators at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Tue Jan. 31, 2012: Blackhawks at Canucks, 9 p.m.

Thu Feb. 2, 2012: Blackhawks at Oilers, 8:30 p.m.

Fri Feb. 3, 2012: Blackhawks at Flames, 8 p.m.

Tue Feb. 7, 2012: Blackhawks at Avalanche, 8 p.m.

Fri Feb. 10, 2012: Blackhawks at Sharks, 9:30 p.m.

Sat Feb. 11, 2012: Blackhawks at Coyotes, 7:30 p.m.

Tue Feb. 14, 2012: Blackhawks at Predators, 7 p.m.

Thu Feb. 16, 2012: Blackhawks at Rangers, 6 p.m.

Sat Feb. 18, 2012: Blackhawks at Blue Jackets, 1 p.m.

Sun Feb. 19, 2012: Blues at Blackhawks, 2 p.m.

Tue Feb. 21, 2012: Red Wings at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Thu Feb. 23, 2012: Stars at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Sat Feb. 25, 2012: Blackhawks at Kings, 3 p.m.

Sun Feb. 26, 2012: Blackhawks at Ducks, 6 p.m.

Wed Feb. 29, 2012: Maple Leafs at Blackhawks, 7 p.m.

Fri Mar. 2, 2012: Blackhawks at Senators, 6:30 p.m.

Sun Mar. 4, 2012: Blackhawks at Red Wings, 3 p.m.

Tue Mar. 6, 2012: Blackhawks at Blues, 7 p.m.

Fri Mar. 9, 2012: Rangers at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Sun Mar. 11, 2012: Kings at Blackhawks, 6 p.m.

Tue Mar. 13, 2012: Blues at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Fri Mar. 16, 2012: Blackhawks at Stars, 7:30 p.m.

Sun Mar. 18, 2012: Capitals at Blackhawks, 6 p.m.

Tue Mar. 20, 2012: Blackhawks at Blue Jackets, 6 p.m.

Wed Mar. 21, 2012: Canucks at Blackhawks, 7 p.m.

Sun Mar. 25, 2012: Predators at Blackhawks, 6:30 p.m.

Tue Mar. 27, 2012: Blackhawks at Devils, 6 p.m.

Thu Mar. 29, 2012: Blues at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.

Sat Mar. 31, 2012: Blackhawks at Predators, 7 p.m.

Sun Apr. 1, 2012: Wild at Blackhawks, 6 p.m.

Thu Apr. 5, 2012: Blackhawks at Wild, 7 p.m.

Sat Apr. 7, 2012: Blackhawks at Red Wings, 3 p.m.

Source: Blackhawks.com