• Loading stock data...
Monday, July 7, 2025

Blackhawks Win Draft Lottery, Fans Rush to Buy $5.2M in Season Tickets

  • Chicago Blackhawks fans raced to buy season tickets after the team secured the top overall draft pick.
  • The team is widely expected to take phenom Connor Bedard.
CHL Top Prospects team red forward Connor Bedard (98) skates during the first period in the 2023 CHL Top Prospects ice hockey game at Langley Events Centre.
Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Connor Bedard is two months from his 18th birthday and doesn’t officially have an NHL team, but he just drove a surge in Chicago Blackhawks’ season-ticket sales.

The Blackhawks secured the No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft and are widely expected to use it on Bedard, a generational prospect in Canada’s Western Hockey League who has drawn comparisons to superstars like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon said that Bedard’s shot release “is one of the best in the world now.”

Though the draft is on June 28, Bedard is already changing the Blackhawks’ fortunes. 

Within 12 hours of securing the top pick, the team had sold $5.2 million in season-ticket packages, including 1,200 full-season plans. 

Climate Pledge Arena is near Memorial Stadium and the Space Needle.

Group Behind the Kraken’s Home Bids to Redevelop a Seattle Stadium

Oak View Group wants to redevelop Seattle’s Memorial Stadium.
May 7, 2023

The Blackhawks, who tied for the second-worst record in the NHL in the 2022-23 season, filled the United Center to 83.7% capacity across 41 home games — good for third-worst in the 32-team league. 

The team measured a bit better by average attendance, ranking 20th with an average crowd of 17,167.

The Blackhawks’ draft lottery win was announced on the jumbotron at Monday’s Chicago Cubs game to cheers, while a “Let’s Go, Blackhawks!” chant briefly broke out at a Chicago White Sox game that same night.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NHL to Rejoin Olympic Ice in Milan—and NBC Set to Cash In

NHL players last competed in the Olympics in 2014.
exclusive

PGA Tour Slashes FedEx Cup Winner Pay From $25M to $10M

The FedExCup is reworking how it distributes its bonus money.

As NBA Free Agency Quiets, Focus Shifts to Potential Extensions

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander signed a four-year, $285 million extension.

Paramount Settles Trump Suit Ahead of NFL Season, Skydance Merger

The deal likely allows the much larger Skydance merger deal to proceed.

Featured Today

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
July 5, 2025

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
July 4, 2025

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.
July 3, 2025

Geoffrey Esper Can’t Catch a Break at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

“Hot dogs is not one of my favorite competitions of the year.”

Liverpool to Pay Diogo Jota’s $20M Contract to His Widow

Jota had two years remaining on his contract.
Myles Turner
July 1, 2025

Pacers Sour on Paying Luxury Tax and Let Myles Turner Walk

The team had seemed willing to cross the threshold for their center.
July 2, 2025

Rogers Takes Control of Canada’s Top Teams in MLSE Buyout

The Canadian media giant now has an arguably unrivaled sports portfolio.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
Manchester City
July 1, 2025

Manchester City Pockets $50 Million for Early Club World Cup Elimination

Saudi side Al-Hilal will bank at least $35 million in its quarterfinal run.
July 1, 2025

Bucks Shock NBA World By Waiving Lillard’s $113M Deal, Signing Turner

Damian Lillard had two years left on his deal.
Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena
July 1, 2025

Panthers Lock Up Stanley Cup–Winning Core With Long-Term Deals

Hours before free agency, Florida cemented terms with their essential players.
June 30, 2025

Nuggets, Rockets Make Aggressive Moves to Challenge Thunder

Denver took the Thunder to seven games in the conference semifinals.