There’s been something noticeable missing from the Blackhawks schedule this season, with a pandemic-induced alignment leaving the team in a Central Division that does not include the St. Louis Blues.
The rivalry between Chicago and St. Louis is a lengthy one, with the hostility between the two fan bases also bleeding outside of hockey’s bubble and into the baseball world each summer. More modern versions of this Blackhawks/Blues feud reached their zenith in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when Brent Seabrook leveled St. Louis captain David Backes behind the net:
A 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs series matchup between the two teams did not feature similar moments of hostility, though, despite that series coming down to a one-goal margin in Game 7.