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Scenes from morning skate: Tolopilo starts, Kane sits again as Canucks face Blackhawks post trade deadline
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Photo credit: © David Banks-Imagn Images
Jeff Paterson
Mar 6, 2026, 17:06 ESTUpdated: Mar 6, 2026, 18:24 EST
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With the trade deadline behind them, the Vancouver Canucks (18-36-7) open a two-game road trip when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks (23-28-10) at United Center. The game is set to begin at 5:30pm PT. The club will move on to Winnipeg to face the Jets on Saturday night.

What we saw

The Canucks conducted a full team morning skate in Chicago. Evander Kane took to the ice with the group, but Adam Foote says the veteran winger will miss a second straight game after sitting out Wednesday with an illness. The rest of tonight’s line-up remains in flux as Foote and his coaching staff take stock of who is still on the roster and available to them after the deadline. Line combinations and defensive pairings will be revealed during warm-up. 
Nikita Tolopilo gets the start in net. He allowed one goal in a relief appearance in Wednesday’s 6-4 loss to Carolina. Marco Rossi, Filip Hronek, Brock Boeser and Nils Höglander scored the Vancouver goals.  
The Canucks have dropped seven straight (0-5-2) overall and have lost nine in a row – all in regulation – on the road.
The Canucks established season highs for shots in a period (19) and a game (45) on November 5th against Chicago. It’s the only time this season the Canucks have crested 40 shots in a game.

The Opponent

The Hawks return to action following a 3-2 overtime loss in Winnipeg on Tuesday night. Teuvo Teravainen and Ryan Greene scored the Chicago goals while Connor Bedard had a pair of assists.
The North Vancouver native, playing his 199th NHL game tonight, has 25 goals and leads the Blackhawks with 57 points while Tyler Bertuzzi has the team lead with 26 goals including a hattrick against the Canucks in November. As a team, the Hawks have just two wins in their last 11 games (2-6-3).
General manager Kyle Davidson has been busy this week sending defenceman Connor Murphy and centre Jason Dickinson to Edmonton in two separate deals for Andrew Mangiapane, a first round pick and a second round selection. Mangiapane is expected to make his Blackhawks debut tonight. The Hawks also sent captain Nick Foligno to Minnesota for future considerations.
Spencer Knight has put together a solid season in goal for the Hawks. While his 16-18-8 record may not impress, he has a 2.62 GAA, a .908 save percentage and three shutouts. Only three goalies in the league have made more starts this season and only two have logged more minutes in the crease.
Knight has been a big part of a Blackhawks penalty kill that ranks first in the league at 85.9% and is even better on home ice at 87.0%. Ilya Mikheyev sits sixth among all NHL forwards in shorthanded ice time per game (2:46).

News and notes

The teams have split their first two meetings of the season. Vancouver won 3-2 in a shootout on October 17th while the Hawks broke a scoreless tie after two periods en route to a 5-2 win at Rogers Arena on November 5th.
The referees for tonight’s game are Wes McCauley and Stephen Hiff. A decade ago, Hiff spent three seasons in the BCHL as a player with the Powell River Kings.
Don’t forget to join Rink Wide Vancouver for full postgame coverage after this game – and every game. The livestream starts moments after the final buzzer. Rink Wide is the place for full postgame analysis and discussion. Contribute to the live YouTube conversation with your thoughts on the game and support our charity partner – the BC Mental Health Foundation – with a Superchat.
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