Blackhawks Gameday Preview: Colton Dach makes NHL debut vs Canadiens, older brother Kirby

Chicago Blackhawks (12-24-2, 26 pts) vs Montreal Canadiens (17-17-3, 37 pts)
7:00 p.m. CT – United Center
TV: CHSN (Ball/Pang)
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Wiedeman/Murray)

Following a self-described “embarrassing” effort from the Chicago Blackhawks in the Winter Classic, they ring-in the New Year with their first home game of 2025 against the Montreal Canadiens tonight. There will be extra juice in the building tonight with the NHL debut of Blackhawks 2021 second-round pick Colton Dach. Coincidentally, Dach’s debut comes on the same night that his older brother and former Blackhawks first-round draft pick Kirby Dach is in town with the Habs. The Blackhawks are 8-3-1 in their last 12 games against the Canadiens at the United Center dating back to the 2002-03 season.

The younger Dach has been putting together a solid season in the AHL this year with 12 goals and 25 points in 30 games with the Rockford IceHogs. His biggest hurdle in his young career has been consistency in his game, both on the ice and in the training room. Dach has battled injuries on and off since being selected by the Blackhawks, but this season has seen him playing the exact way the organization wants him to and he is being rewarded with his NHL debut coming just a day before his 22nd birthday.

“This is the kind of moment my family and I have been working towards my whole life,” Dach said at morning skate. “Excited and ready for it to happen.” Colton and Kirby were in the Blackhawks organization at the same time for just one year during 2021-22 before Kirby was traded at the 2022 NHL Draft. The idea that Colton would be making his NHL debut with Kirby was originally supposed to happen with both of them on the same side of the ice. Although that won’t be the case tonight, it’s still a special moment for the Dach family. “It’s still like we always dreamt of it with both of us on the same ice. It’s still like a cherry on top that he [Kirby] gets to be here for it.”

Connor Bedard comes into tonight’s game with a five-game point streak after getting an assist in the Winter Classic. That assist made him the fourth teenager in NHL history to record a point in a Winter Classic game. He has seven points over his current streak, which matches his career-best streak from last year when he had eight points over a five-game streak.

Season Series

1/3/25 vs MTL
4/14/25 at MTL

Blackhawks Team Leaders

G-Tyler Bertuzzi (12)
A-Connor Bedard (23)
P-Connor Bedard (33)
PPG-Teuvo Teravainen, Taylor Hall (5)
SOG-Connor Bedard (94)
PIM-Tyler Bertuzzi (39)

Canadiens Team Leaders

G-Cole Caufield (19)
A-Nick Suzuki (25)
P-Nick Suzuki (36)
PPG-Patrik Laine (8)
SOG-Cole Caufield (104)
PIM-Arber Xhekaj (50)

Blackhawks Team Stats

GF/G-2.50 (31st)
GA/G-3.39 (26th)
PP%-23.5 (11th)
PK%-84.1 (4th)
SOG/G-25.5 (30th)
SA/G-29.8 (28th)
FO%-43.8 (31st)
PIM/G-8:36 (17th)

Canadiens Team Stats

GF/G-3.03 (17th)
GA/G-3.41 (27th)
PP%-21.4 (17th)
PK%-82.7 (8th)
SOG/G-25.1 (32nd)
SA/G-29.3 (25th)
FO%-49.2 (21st)
PIM/G-10:00 (27th)

Blackhawks Probable Lines

Forwards
Tyler Bertuzzi-Connor Bedard-Ilya Mikheyev
Taylor Hall-Jason Dickinson-Nick Foligno
Colton Dach-Frank Nazar-Teuvo Teräväinen
Pat Maroon-Ryan Donato-Craig Smith

Defensemen
Alex Vlasic-Louis Crevier
Wyatt Kaiser-Seth Jones
Nolan Allan-T.J. Brodie

Scratched:
Lukas Reichel, Philipp Kurashev

Injured:
Laurent Brossoit (knee), Alec Martinez (neck), Connor Murphy (OUT)

Canadiens Probable Lines

Forwards
Cole Caufield-Nick Suzuki-Juraj Slafkovsky
Alex Newhook-Kirby Dach-Patrik Laine
Josh Anderson-Christian Dvorak-Brenden Gallagher
Emil Heineman-Jake Evans-Joel Armia

Defensemen
Lane Hutson-Mike Matheson
Kaiden Guhle-Alexandre Carrier
Arber Xhekaj-David Savard

Scratched
Michael Pezzetta, Jayden Struble

Injured
Carey Price (LTIR), Rafael Harvey-Pinard (IR), David Reinbacher (OUT)

Probable Goaltending Matchup

Arvid Söderblom (5-9-1, .907 SV%, 2.78 GAA, 0 SO) vs Sam Montembeault (14-14-2, .902 SV%, 2.98 GAA, 3 SO)