Blackhawks' dominant 2013 Stanley Cup-winning team faces new challenger: the 2026 Avalanche
The Blackhawks will welcome back many alumni from their 2010, 2013 and 2015 Stanley Cup championship teams Saturday against the Bruins as they celebrate the "Banner Years" era of their centennial history.
As much as fans have enjoyed some of their longer-term throwbacks this season — including the reintroduction of black alternate jerseys and a re-creation of the Chicago Stadium — this is really what they've been waiting for.
The Hawks shied away from doing too much related to the Cup-winning teams in recent years, partially due to the stain of the sexual assault scandal and partially because they had these plans in the works.
That has built up immense demand for a journey down memory lane to those triumphant days, and that demand will be unleashed this weekend. It's almost a two-part celebration with Jonathan Toews, the captain of those teams, set to return Monday as a member of the Jets.
As of Friday afternoon, resale tickets on SeatGeek started at $168 for an actual seat — a high price for this non-contending team. It doesn't quite compare to the Bears' playoff game Sunday, but anticipation is high. By far the loudest roars during a dull loss Thursday against the Flames were for Duncan Keith and Marian Hossa, who had flown into town early.
The 2013 Hawks, in particular, still hold the subjective but rather unanimous title of "NHL's most dominant team" in modern times.
Their 21-0-3 run to start the lockout-shortened 48-game season is the stuff of legend, and their final regular-season record of 36-7-5 still jumps off the page. They remain the most recent Presidents' Trophy winners to go on to win the Cup — or even to reach the Cup Final.
Both Toews and Patrick Kane averaged more than a point per game offensively, but it was defensive stoutness and an indefatigable "clutch gene" that made such dominance possible. They barely allowed two goals per game as goaltenders Corey Crawford and Ray Emery both posted save percentages over .920.
Those traits also continued through the playoffs — something other Presidents' Trophy winners have consistently failed to do. They cruised past the Wild in the first round, rallied from 3-1 down to beat the Red Wings in the second round (an iconic series), upended the Kings in the conference finals (the Kings' only loss in a three-year span) and ultimately stunned the Bruins to claim the Cup.
Neither the Hawks nor Bruins rosters that will face off Saturday contain any remnants from 2013, yet the famous "17 seconds" comeback in Game 6 of the Cup Final still resides in a cherished corner of many fans' minds.
Those memories aren't going anywhere; that 2013 championship, just like the 2010 and 2015 ones, will belong to Chicago forever. But the "most dominant" title? That could be taken away at some point, and it will be interesting to see who does it — and when.
There is one viable challenger emerging right now: the Avalanche, who entered Friday with a 33-4-8 record, including 19-0-3 at home. Their duo of Hart and Norris Trophy front-runners — Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, respectively — are terrorizing the league.
Had the 2013 Hawks played a full 82-game season and maintained their pace, they would've finished with 132 points.
The 2018-19 Lightning came close to that mark (128 points), and the 2022-23 Bruins exceeded it (135 points) during their record-breaking 65-win season, but both of those teams were infamously toppled in the first round.
The 2025-26 Avalanche are on pace for 135 points, as well, but they do have a long way to go. Then they would have to continue their dominance into the playoffs, which won't be easy in a stacked Central Division.
It's unlikely, but it's possible. For the 2013 Hawks, the Avalanche's progress is worth monitoring.