So, you’re trying to find the game. It’s 7:00 PM on a Tuesday, you’ve got your jersey on, and you’re scrolling through channels only to find... a rerun of a sitcom or a poker tournament. Frustrating? Absolutely. Tracking down the chicago blackhawks tv schedule has become a bit of a strategic mission lately, mostly because the old days of just "turning on the local sports channel" are long gone.
Honestly, the landscape shifted hard when the Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) took over. If you're still looking for the games on NBC Sports Chicago, you're going to be staring at a blank screen. This season, the 2025-26 run is spread across a messy patchwork of local cable, national giants like TNT and ESPN, and those "exclusive" streaming windows that always seem to pop up right when you’ve settled into the couch.
Where the Games Actually Live This Season
The bulk of the action—we’re talking 67 games—is anchored on the Chicago Sports Network (CHSN). This is the new home base for the Hawks, the Bulls, and the White Sox. It’s basically the "local" channel, but even that is a bit of a misnomer because how you get it depends entirely on your provider. If you have DirecTV or certain cable packages in the Chicago market, you’re probably fine. If you’re a cord-cutter? Well, that’s where the "CHSN+" app or a service like Fubo comes into play.
But don't get too comfortable. The NHL loves a national audience, especially with the "Bedard effect" still in full swing. Because of that, 15 games were ripped away from local TV and handed to national partners.
The Big National Dates to Circle
If you see a game listed on ESPN or TNT, it won't be on CHSN. Period. No local broadcast. You've gotta find the national feed. For example, the upcoming clash against the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 23 is an ESPN exclusive. If you're looking for that one on your local cable box, you’ll be out of luck.
Then there’s the TNT stretch. TNT has a few "doubleheader" nights where the Hawks take center stage, like the March 17 matchup against the Minnesota Wild. These games usually mean the start times are a little weird—think 8:30 PM starts instead of the usual 7:00 PM puck drop—to accommodate the East Coast game finishing up first.
Understanding the "Plus" Factor (CHSN+)
There is a weird quirk in the chicago blackhawks tv schedule that trips up even the die-hards. Every now and then, you’ll see a game listed for CHSN+. No, it’s not necessarily a separate paid streaming service (though it can be), it’s often an overflow channel.
When the Bulls and the Blackhawks play at the same time, one of them gets bumped. Usually, the Hawks will stay on the main CHSN feed, but if there’s a massive scheduling conflict, you might find the game on CHSN+ or a secondary digital subchannel. You should check your local listings specifically for games on March 1 and March 3, as those have historically been "overflow" candidates during busy spring sports weeks.
The Out-of-Market Struggle
If you live in, say, Nashville or New York and want to watch the Hawks, your life is actually way easier than the people living in Chicago. You basically just need ESPN+. Since you’re outside the "blackout zone," almost every single non-national game is available to you through the "NHL Power Play" on ESPN+.
The only catch? If the Hawks are playing your local team (like if you live in St. Louis and the Hawks are playing the Blues), the game will be blacked out on ESPN+. You’d have to watch the Blues' local broadcast instead. It’s a convoluted system, but it's the one we're stuck with in 2026.
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Streaming vs. Cable: A Reality Check
Let's talk money for a second because watching hockey isn't cheap. If you want every single game on the chicago blackhawks tv schedule, you basically have three paths:
- The Legacy Route: Get a traditional cable or satellite package that includes CHSN, ESPN, and TNT. This is the most "stable" way, but obviously the most expensive.
- The Fubo/Hulu Live Path: Fubo carries CHSN, which is huge for local fans. Hulu + Live TV gives you the ESPN/TNT games but doesn't always have the local RSN (Regional Sports Network) depending on their current contract disputes.
- The Frankenstein Method: A CHSN+ standalone subscription (about $20/month) for the local games, plus an HBO Max subscription (for the TNT games), plus an ESPN+ sub (for the Hulu/ESPN+ exclusives). It’s a lot of passwords to remember.
Upcoming High-Profile Broadcasts
To make things easy, here are a few of the "special" broadcasts coming up in the latter half of the season that you won't find on your regular local channel:
- January 22: vs. Carolina Hurricanes. This is an ESPN+/Hulu exclusive. If you don't have a login for those specific streaming apps, you aren't seeing the game.
- March 17: vs. Minnesota Wild. This is on TNT.
- March 19: at Minnesota Wild. Another ESPN+/Hulu exclusive.
Most of the remaining April games, including the season closer against the San Jose Sharks on April 15, are slated for CHSN.
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Technical Glitches and "Where is it?"
The first few months of CHSN were... let's call it "eventful." There were reports of audio desyncs and some fans in the suburbs struggling to find the channel on their specific provider. If you're using an over-the-air (OTA) antenna, remember that CHSN is available on digital channel 62.2 or 62.3 in the Chicago area. Sometimes a simple "re-scan" on your TV's settings is all you need to find the game for free.
Also, pay attention to the radio side. If you're stuck in traffic and can't find a stream, WGN Radio 720-AM is still the place. John Wiedeman is still one of the best in the business, and frankly, sometimes the radio call is more exciting than the TV broadcast anyway.
Actionable Steps for the Next Puck Drop
Don't wait until 6:55 PM to figure this out. Check your provider's channel lineup for Chicago Sports Network today. If you're a cord-cutter, download the CHSN app and see if your zip code qualifies for the direct-to-consumer subscription. For the national games, make sure your ESPN+ and Max (for TNT) logins are active and haven't expired.
If you are traveling, remember that your local Chicago stream might not work due to geofencing. In that case, you'll be relying on the "out-of-market" rules on ESPN+ to catch the game from your hotel room. Stay ahead of the schedule, and you won't miss Bedard’s next highlight-reel goal.