Chicago Sun-Times' Ben Pope on Nazar, Bedard & the Blackhawks’ Future

On this episode of the Blackhawks Breakaway Podcast, Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis break down the Blackhawks’ recent 3-0-1 stretch and discuss how the team has become as entertaining and watchable as it’s been in years.. They dive into the strides Connor Bedard has made this season, how his friendship and road roommate Frank Nazar has influenced him, and how both young stars are pushing each other to grow. Pat and Charlie also talk about Nick Foligno’s return after a brief family absence, the team’s penalty issues, and much more. Plus, Pat sits down 1-on-1 with Spencer Knight, who’s quietly been one of the NHL’s top goaltenders this season.

On this episode of the Blackhawks Breakaway Podcast, Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis break down Chicago’s 3-1 win over the Utah Mammoth for their first victory of the season. They discuss how the Blackhawks gutted out a tight victory, Ilya Mikheyev’s early impact, Artyom Levshunov’s strong response after being scratched in the home opener, and Andre Burakovsky’s growing role. They also highlight Spencer Knight’s stellar goaltending to start the season. Plus, the guys share memories from the last time the Blackhawks and Bears both won on a Monday night way back on Oct. 16, 2006, and reflect on the memorable Centennial ceremony. Finally, hear the full interview with Blackhawks chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz from Blackhawks Countdown Live on CHSN.

On this episode of the Blackhawks Breakaway Podcast, Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis share their takeaways from the two-game road trip in Florida and Boston to open the 2025-26 season. They break down the strong goaltending from Spencer Knight and Arvid Söderblom, Frank Nazar’s hot start and how he’s quickly putting himself on the national radar, and Connor Bedard’s performance alongside new linemate Colton Dach. The guys also discuss the Blackhawks standing up for each other in Boston and showing they won’t back down this season. Plus, they dive into the impact of Jason Dickinson’s injury, the highs and lows of Artyom Levshunov’s early play, and Jonathan Toews' official return in Winnipeg's home opener. Finally, Pat goes 1-on-1 with Nazar in an exclusive interview you won’t want to miss.

On this episode of the Blackhawks Breakaway Podcast, Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis break down Chicago’s Opening Night roster for the 2025-26 season. They share injury updates on Landon Slaggert and Alex Vlasic, discuss Ryan Greene’s call-up over Oliver Moore, revisit the Seth Jones trade, and react to Connor McDavid’s two-year extension with Edmonton. Plus, Pat and Charlie make their season predictions, including how many points they think Connor Bedard will put up.

On this episode of the Blackhawks Breakaway Podcast, Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis dive into the final training camp battles. With three roster spots up for grabs, who will claim them? Could Lukas Reichel be moved before Opening Night? Will the last forward spot come down to Oliver Moore or Ryan Greene? And how many defensemen will the Blackhawks carry? Pat and Charlie also discuss Alex Vlasic’s injury scare, the possibility of a Frank Nazar breakout season, Florida captain Aleksander Barkov’s season-ending injury, and more.

On this episode of the Blackhawks Breakaway Podcast, Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis break down Chicago's 3-2 preseason-opening loss to the Detroit Red Wings. They explain why there’s no need to overreact to the first game under new head coach Jeff Blashill, then dive into Connor Bedard’s performance, Arvid Söderblom’s 40-save effort and the importance of goaltending this season, the ups and downs for Artyom Levshunov, and more. Plus, a look at special teams practice and the first wave of roster cuts.

On this episode of the Blackhawks Breakaway Podcast, Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis share their biggest takeaways from Day 1 of training camp. They break down first impressions of new head coach Jeff Blashill and the tone he set, the opening line combinations, Lukas Reichel’s “prove-it” camp, Wyatt Kaiser’s last-minute two-year contract, Nick Foligno’s leadership role in shaping the team’s culture, and much more.

On this episode of the Blackhawks Breakaway Podcast, Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis break down the 2025 Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase in Minnesota, highlighted by Oliver Moore’s overtime winner. They discuss which prospects impressed most, then shift to Spencer Knight’s new three-year extension and why it’s a win-win for both sides. The guys also preview training camp, which opens Thursday at Fifth Third Arena: Who will skate alongside Connor Bedard? What role will Lukas Reichel carve out? Can Ryan Greene or Moore crack the roster out of the gates? Is Artyom Levshunov ready for a full-time NHL role? Plus, they weigh in on Kirill Kaprizov’s uncertain future in Minnesota and more.

On the latest Blackhawks Breakaway Podcast, Pat Boyle catches up with Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times and they discuss the extension of “Mr Breakaway”, Frank Nazar. They also unpack Ben’s recent interview with Connor Bedard. What tweaks has Bedard made to his game this summer and will he get an extension before camp starts? Plus, Spencer Knight looks for a quiet home & what are the biggest storylines heading into training camp? 

On this episode of the Blackhawks Breakaway Podcast, Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis recap Patrick Kane Day, from the morning community skate with youth players to the evening’s live Q&A. They also share their thoughts on Kane's 1-on-1 interview with Pat on the previous episode of the Blackhawks Breakaway Podcast. To wrap up, Pat and Charlie offer an early projection of the Blackhawks’ Opening Night roster with just over a month until training camp. Who will skate alongside Connor Bedard? How will the newcomers slot in? Which prospects are ready for full-time NHL roles, and where does Lukas Reichel fit? Pat and Charlie break it all down.