Bowen Byram recorded two goals and Wyatt Kaiser dropped the gloves as the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Minnesota Wild in overtime during a preseason matchup on September 21, 2026, at the United Center. The physical contest featured a youth-heavy Wild lineup and gave the Blackhawks an early test of their defensive pairings.
Bowen Byram Leads Chicago With a Preseason Two-Goal Performance
The start to the game proved far from ideal for Chicago when Bobby Brink gave the visitors a 1-0 lead only 15 seconds after puck drop. The Blackhawks answered before the nine-minute mark following a penalty kill, setting up a physical contest that out-hit the Wild 23-22 in regulation.
Byram anchored the offensive push by scoring a gorgeous goal early in the second period to put Chicago ahead 2-1. Later in the frame, he rifled a shot off the post that created a scoring chance at the other end before delivering a pass that banked off a defender into the net for his second tally of the night.
Working alongside Alex Vlasic on the blue line, Byram experienced a few transitional moments as the pair learned each other’s tendencies in live game action for the first time.
Roster Decisions and Lineups at the United Center
The matchup arrived just eight days before the start of the regular season, following a weekend where the training camp roster was trimmed to 47 players after a trio of prospects were returned to their junior teams, most notably 2026 second-round pick Ryan Roobroeck.
Chicago dressed much of its expected opening-night squad, though fans hoping to see Patrick Kane in a Blackhawks uniform for the first time in three years had to wait a little longer. Jeff Blashill confirmed that Kane, alongside Slaggert, Del Mastro, and Korchinski, would not play after skating in Minnesota the previous night.
That absence left Teuvo Teravainen as a potential option to join Frank Nazar and Roman Kantserov on the top line, though Teravainen has spent training camp navigating speculation about his expiring contract, as he will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Physical Play and Prospect Performances Highlighted in Overtime Win
Physicality escalated in the middle and latter stages of the game. After Charlie Stramel delivered a dangerous hit on Tyler Bertuzzi in the neutral zone, Jordan Greenway stepped up to issue a couple FAFO notices before the whistle, taking a roughing penalty in the process. Later in the third period as things grew increasingly chippy, Wyatt Kaiser and Bobby Brink dropped the gloves.
Among the younger skaters, Roman Kantserov generated a team-leading four shot attempts and registered a high-danger chance during his first action, while also delivering a huge hit on his former KHL teammate Danila Yurov at the start of the second period. Artyom Levshunov experienced a turbulent opening 20 minutes with a team-high nine shot attempts against at 5-on-5, but settled down after the first and played a much more composed game in the middle frame.
Nick Lardis rounded out the standout performances by stepping out of the penalty box after serving a too-many-men infraction, stealing the puck, drawing a penalty, and finishing the play with a game-tying goal that eventually propelled Chicago toward its overtime victory.
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