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Stadium:
United Center
The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in the Near West Side community area of Chicago, Illinois, named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL and the Chicago Bulls of the NBA. The plan to build the arena was created by Bill Wirtz and Jerry Reinsdorf, the owners of the two sports teams, respectively. The United Center's predecessor was the indoor Chicago Stadium, which was demolished after the newer arena opened for business on August 18, 1994. A statue of Michael Jordan is located on the east side of the arena. United Airlines pays about $1.8 million per year until 2014 for its naming rights.

Seating Chart:
United Center Seating Chart

Team History:
The Chicago Black Hawks joined the NHL in 1926 as part of the league's successful foray into United States-based teams. They were founded by coffee tycoon Frederic McLaughlin. Most of the Hawks' original players came from the Portland Rosebuds of the Western Canada Hockey League, which had folded the previous season. McLaughlin had been a commander with the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion of the 86th Infantry Division during World War I. This Division was nicknamed the "Blackhawk Division", after a Native American of the Sauk nation, Chief Black Hawk, who was a prominent figure in the history of Illinois. McLaughlin evidently named the hockey team in honour of the military unit, making it one of many sports team names using Native Americans as icons. McLaughlin's wife, Irene Castle, designed the original version of the team's logo, which survived, with only minor changes, until 1955.

Season Preview:
The Blackhawks are in a similar position to the Blue Jackets. They came off a miserable season, but have reasons for significant optimism if not this season then in the not-too-distant future. The big difference is the Blackhawks are a storied franchise gone to seed with an owner who remains caught in an unfortunate time warp. That said, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that, if recent history reverses itself and the Blackhawks get a few breaks, they could sneak into the playoffs. That's a lot of "ifs" and they start with vastly improved play from netminder Nikolai Khabibulin, the biggest free-agent bust of last season. Still, with the arrival of Martin Havlat and Michal Handzus up front and the emergence of Brent Seabrook as a blue-chip defender last season, the Blackhawks are on the verge. Maybe.

Official Site:
http://blackhawks.nhl.com/