CHICAGO — Bowen Byram delivered a hat trick in his first preseason game in a Chicago sweater, scoring 29 seconds into overtime to lift the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild on Monday night at the United Center.
Minnesota struck just 15 seconds into the game when Bobby Brink redirected a shot past Spencer Knight for a 1-0 lead following a defensive zone turnover. Chicago answered after killing a too-many-men penalty served by Nick Lardis, who exited the box, stripped a Wild defender, was tripped on the breakaway and still sniped home the tying goal to make it 1-1.
Byram put Chicago ahead 2-1 in the second period on a play created by Sam Rinzel and Ryan Greene circling the puck in the offensive zone before finding him with a lane to the net. He made it 3-1 just 24 seconds into the third when his attempted backdoor pass to Roman Kantserov deflected off a Minnesota defender and in, with Kantserov and Alex Vlasic collecting assists on the play.
The Wild youngsters forced overtime as Maxim Shabanov and Brink — with his second of the game — tied it at 3-3, echoing Chicago's third-period lead issues from 2025-26. After also going to overtime Saturday in St. Paul, the teams needed extra time again in Chicago, where the Blackhawks won the opening draw and never gave up possession before Byram completed the hat trick. Chicago iced much of its regular-season lineup against a Wild group of mostly AHL players for a second straight game, and now closes the preseason with a home-and-home against the St. Louis Blues starting Thursday in St. Louis, giving head coach Jeff Blashill an early look at Byram's offensive dimension.