Celebrate with the Blackhawks on Instagram and Twitter

source @chicagoblackhawksnation on IG

Updated 3/26/14

Wow, the Blackhawks win their second Stanley Cup in 4 years in a hard fought battle with the Boston Bruins.  The series included a total of 5 overtime periods and 3 series lead changes.  It was a battle to the end that looked like it was going 7 games before the Blackhawks scored two goals in the final 1:16 minutes of the game to erase a 2-1 deficit and win 3-2.

Now the celebration begins and you can follow the parties, movement of the Stanley Cup and fun with Blackhawk players on Instagram and Twitter.  To help you follow the fun, here are the handles for a group of the Blackhawk players.  Of course, not all of them have IG and Twitter accounts, but several do.  It is skewed toward younger players as you would expect but some of the older guys have caught on too.

Congrats, Blackhawks and enjoy a sweet summer off.


Team Blackhawks

source @nhlblackhawks on IG

You can follow the PR folks for the Blackhawks on both IG and Twitter.  They are much more active than the players and have already started posting lots of photos of the Stanley Cup celebrations.  This should be your first stop because you will get the most content.
On Tw @NHLBlackhawks
396,000 followers 
On IG @nhlblackhawks
346 photos 132,000 followers

Bryan Bickell
Bix really came into his own this post-season and unfortunately that probably means he will be on another team after being paid a lot of money during free agency.  However, fans can savor the memory of his play on the road to the Cup in which he scored 9 goals (after only scoring 9 all regular season) and delivering big hits throughout.  He is active on both IG and Twitter. 
On Tw @bbicks29
50,000 followers
On IG @bbickell
45 photos 6,800 followers

credit @davebolland on Twitter

Dave Bolland
Okay growing up as hockey player you dream of putting in the game winning goal in the 7th game of the Stanley Cup finals. Well Mr. Bolland, you just came damn close by winning the Stanley Cup on a last minute goal in game 6 of an amazing Cup Finals. Take a bow, please!
On Tw @davebolland
42,000 followers
No IG account



Brandon Bollig
Brandon is one of the few players that can claim to be a Chicago native so he holds a special place in the hearts of Blackhawks fans. He has been an integral performer during the entire season and playoffs and played significant minutes while Hossa and Toews were out.
On Tw @bollig87
42,000 followers
On IG @bollig87
31 photos 3,700 followers

Daniel Carcillo
Daniel did not get play many minutes in the playoff run but he was a huge contributor during the season.  He delivered big hits throughout the regular season and even scored a game winning goal to help the Blackhawks continue their streak to 24 games to open the season.
On Tw @carbombboom13
52,000 followers
No IG account


Celebrate the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup win with a special edition Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Championship logo REAL.BIG. Fathead!


Patrick Kane
Patrick Kane had an amazing season that he called the "best year of his life" that culminated in winning the Con Smythe Trophy for the best player during the NHL Playoffs. He was absolutely amazing scoring 9 goals and adding 10 assists. He was an absolute clutch performer that scored many of his goals when the team absolutely needed them. It was a huge maturing year for Patrick on his way to becoming an NHL Hall of Famer. While he has been on Twitter for a while, the IG account is new and not many know about it yet.
On Tw @88pkane
330,000 followers
On IG @88p_kane
29 photos 1,300 followers

Duncan Keith
One could debate for hours on who is the more important defenseman for the Hawks, Keith or Brent Seabrook, but why debate? Rather, lets just say the two are both amazing and critical players in the Blackhawks stalwart defensive system. Keith and Seabrook anchor one of the best penalty killing units in the NHL that killed off 4 in the final game of the Stanley Cup Finals.
On Tw @duncankeith
30,000 followers
No IG account

Marcus Kruger
Another of the Swedes on the Blackhawks, Marcus Kruger has become in integral part of their offense playing on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th line of the Hawks.
On IG @marcus_kruger_16
6 photos 450 followers

Nick Leddy
Nick Leddy is the youngest member of the Blackhawks defensive group at 22 years of age. He was an intregal part of the Hawks defense that held opposing teams to 1.84 average goals per game. Leddy is the future of Blackhawks defense.
On Tw @ledpipe08

34,000 followers

From Sharp's feed @10psharp

No IG account

Jamal Mayers
One of the oldest Blackhawks, at 38, Jamal Mayers was a key part of the team during the regular season. He ate up decent minutes for the team during their amazingly pristine regular season run. While he did not enjoy many minutes during the playoffs, I am sure he is enjoying his first Stanley Cup Championship.
On Tw @jamalmayers
37,000 followers
No IG account

Patrick Sharp
Patrick Sharp had an outstanding season and playoffs. He scored the most goals on the team, 10, and was 4th in total points with 16. He had a nose for the goal and benefited from some silky smooth assists by Patrick Kane while they played together on the second line.
On Tw @10psharp
100,000 followers
On IG @10psharp
25 photos 1,300 followers

Andrew Shaw
Young Andrew Shaw, 21, is one of the most fun players to watch on the Blackhawks. He plays with reckless abandon and he always seems to be around the action. While we love him here in Chicago, I would guess he is the guy that opposing fans most hate because he is so fearless and reckless. He is a hitter, passer, scorer and general disrupter of the defense. He made the ultimate sacrifice in the 6th game of the Finals taking a puck to the face and coming back stiched and swollen to finish the game (see photo).
On Tw @shawz15er
77,000 followers
On IG @shawz65
33 photos 11,000 followers


Ben Smith
Rookie Ben Smith is fresh out of Boston College so returning to Boston to win the Stanley Cup had to be a huge thrill. While he did not play a lot of minutes in the Finals, he did get to start game 3 in place of Marion Hossa (injured back/leg). Ben has huge potential and the Blackhawks are very excited about his future.

source @viktorstalberg25 on IG

On Tw @benasmith12
12,000 followers
On IG @bensmith_28
10 photos, 1,000 followers

Viktor Stalberg
One of four Swedish players on the Blackhawks (see photo of four with the Cup at right), Stalberg is generally considered the fastest skater on the team. He has the ability put lots of pressure on the defense with his speed and get the puck to the goal very quickly.
On Tw @vstalberg
62,000 followers
On IG @viktorstalberg25
4 photos 1,800 followers

ChicagoBlackhawksNation
This is one more great account to follow for Blackhawks fans. CBN posts a lot more photos than even the Blackhawks so you will get some great inside shots of the team and fans. They are bloggers that live and die Blackhawks, so definitely worth a follow.
On IG @chicagoblackhawksnation
1,700 photos 20,000 followers

25 Active NHL Players on Instagram

NHL Hockey is gaining popularity in the US despite the most recent players strike.  The game has opened up with the advent of the change in checking rules and fans are responding.  Did you know that you can follow some of the games biggest stars on Instagram?  It is a fun way to get a behind the scenes glimpse into the National Hockey League.

Unfortunately, NHL players do not share as many photos with fans as some of the stars of other sports like the NBA and NFL, however, you will still find interesting photos from guys like Sidney Crosby, Dustin Brown, Alex Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos.  

Hopefully, other NHL players catch on soon and see the engagement they can have with fans by sharing photos on IG.   You can also find several most NHL teams on Instagram  sharing photos with fans.  If you ever wondered what it was like to be a star NHL player, well now you can get that inside glimpse. 

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NHL Players from the Eastern Conference

Sidney Crosby from @officialcrosby feed

Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) may be the most popular player in the NHL and quite possibly the best player in the league.  He is an amazing passer and adept skater that can create space for himself right through the heart of the defense.  He is relatively new to IG but has shared more than more than most of the slow to share NHLers.
@officialcrosby
25 photos 22,000 followers  

Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers) is one of the few NHL goalkeepers on Instagram. He is the goalie for the NY Rangers and had the 4th best Save Percent in the NHL in the 2012-2013 season at .934.
@hank30nyr
38 photos 74,000 followers

Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) is the Captain of the Washington Capitals and one of the top scorers in the NHL. In fact, he finished the 2012-13 season 3rd in overall points. Ovi is also dating Maria Kirilenko, a Russian Tennis star who also won a bronze medal in Doubles, which doubles the fun in following him on IG.
@ovi_caps8
12 photos 6,500 followers  

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Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning) is a Center for the Lightning and a major offensive power in the league.  For the second straight year, Stamkos finished with the second most points in the league and finished second in total goals.  In 2011-2012, he led the NHL in goals. He is not yet sharing a lot of photos but he is such a great player it is fun to follow him.
@officialstevenstamkos
9 photos 4,500 followers

Nicklas Backstrom (Washington Capitals) is a Center for the Washington Capitals. He is a dynamic young player and a deadly passer.  He finished 3rd in total assists during the 2012-2013 season.  Niklas understands Instagram and shares photos from his life as well as from the Ice.
@nicklas_backstrom19
37 photos 2,700 follower

Evengi Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins) is a Russian Center for the Pittsburgh Penguins and one of the top players in the league.  He was injured for part of the most recent season and missed 1/3 of the teams games, yet he still finished 64th in total points!  While he is not yet prolific sharer, he has gotten started with about 20 photos shared.
@malkin71_
18 photos 8,500 followers

Tyler Seguin (Boston Bruins) is one of the bright young stars in the NHL and the future face of the Boston franchise. At only 21, he will be a mainstay for the Bruins for years to come.  He scored 32 points during 2012-2013, ranking him 66th in the league.  He has not started sharing many photos yet but hopefully will start soon.
@tseguin92
5 photos 25,000 followers 

Alex competing for TeamUSA from @agally94 feed

Alex Galchenyuk (Montreal Canadiens) was the 3rd pick in the 2012 draft. At 18, he will be one of the younger players in the NHL.  He played in all 48 games for the Canadiens this 2012-2013 year and scored 27 points.  Also as one would expect, the younger players are more active sharers on IG and he has many photos to scroll through.
@agally94
150 photos 14,500 followers

Brad Richards (New York Rangers) is a Center with the New York Rangers. While formerly a top player for the franchise, this past year was a struggle.  However, he still scored 27 points in 46 games and still has a few years to contribute.  It is unclear if those contributions will be with the Rangers though.
@brichards_1991
100 photos 24,000 followers

Joffrey Lupul (Toronto Maple Leafs) is a Left Winger in his 10th season in the NHL. He hails from Saskatchewan, Canada. He has sat out much of the start of the 2013 season with an arm injury, but remains one of the best of the Leafs when he is healthy
@jlupul
29 photos 17,000 follower

Scottie Upshall (Florida Panthers) is an NHL journeyman having been with 5 teams over 9 years. He is a fairly active IG user sharing nearly 70 photos.
@supshall9
127 photos 4,500 followers

Wojtek Wolski (Washington Capitals) is a Polish born NHL player journeyman. Wolski is in his 8th season with his 5th NHL team, the Washington Capitals. One of the fun things about Wolski is he likes music and posts photos from many different concerts.
@Wojtekwolski86
170 photos 3,700 followers

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NHL Players on Instagram from the Western Conference

Paul Bissonnette (Phoenix Coyotes) is only a role player on the Phoenix Coyotes but he is the most active NHL Instagram user.  He is a must follow for NHL fans with hundreds of photos shared. And note all his followers - if you share photos people will come.
@biznasty
750 photos 82,000 followers

Brad Richardson (Los Angeles Kings) was one of the Centers that anchored 2011-2012 Stanley Cup Champion Kings. Brad has shared lots of behind the scenes photos including several with The Cup.
@brichardson15
64 photos 1,700 followers 

Dustin Brown (Los Angeles Kings) is a Captain and Left Wing of the LA Kings.  He is a big hitter who also scored 29 points during the 2012-2013 season.  He has shared some great behind the scenes photos on IG including several with the Cup He is a must follow for any true NHL fan.

Artistic shot from Dustin Brown on @dlo23

@dlo23
24 photos 5,700 followers 

Vladimir Tarasenko (St. Louis Blues) is a Right Winger for the St Louis Blues in his first year in the NHL after spending five seasons playing in the Russion professional league.
@tara9191
81 photos 5,100 followers

Jordin Tootoo (Detroit Red Wings) is a right winger who spent 8 years with the Nashville Predators before moving over to the Red Wings this past season.  Jordin is a very active NHL IG user with over 200photos shared.
@kudluk22
200 photos 10,700 followers 

Andrew Shaw (Chicago Blackhawks) is a 21 year old 3rd line player for the Blackhawks.  You won't find any of the well known 1st or 2nd line Blackhawks on Instagram but you will find some of the very talented 3rd and 4th line players. One of the most exciting young players on the team, Andrew Shaw has played both Center and wing this year. He plays with reckless abandon and just as comfortable dispatching a hit than he is shooting or passing.
@shawz65
30 photos 5,300 followers 

Taylor Hall (Edmonton Oilers) is a Left Winger for the Oilers in his third season in the NHL. He is one of the leading scorers for the Oilers and one of a batch of new young NHL stars.
@taylorhall04
26 photos 26,000 followers   

Mikkel Boedker (Phoenix Coyotes) is a Left Winger in his 5th season with the Coyotes. Boedker is originally from Denmark and is having a breakout year in this strike shortened 2013 season.
@mboedker
60 photos 2,500 followers  

Bryan Bickell (Chicago Blackhawks) is firmly entrenched as the Left Wing on the 3rd line for the Blackhawks. He is a big hitter but also has a nose for the net and ends up with many timely and important goals. I don't think there is a deeper team in the 2013 NHL than the Blackhawks and their 3rd line is every bit as good as many other teams first lines. Bickell played in all 48 of the Blackhawks regular season games.
@bbickell
44 photos 4,100 followers

David Perron (St Louis Blues) is a Left Wing for the St Louis Blues in his 6th NHL season. He is a consistent scoring threat for the Blues.
@dp_57
4 photos 2,200 followers


NHL Team Accounts 
Most of the NHL teams are on Instagram and you can do a quick search by team name to find the official account. I am not going to link all of these team pages, but I will give you the handle here in case you want to copy and paste it to quickly find it on IG.

Anaheim Ducks @anaheimducks
Boston Bruins @nhlbruins
Buffalo Sabres @buffalosabres
Carolina Hurricanes @nhlcanes
Calgary Flames @nhlflames
Chicago Blackhawks @nhlblackhawks
Colorado Avalanche @coloradoavalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets @officialcolumbusbluejackets
Dallas Stars @officialdallasstars
Detroit Red Wings @detroitredwings
Edmonton Oilers @edmontonoilers
Florida Panthers @flapanthers
LA Kings @lakingshockey
Minnesota Wild @minnesotawild
Montreal Canadiens @canadiensmtl
Nashville Predators @prednhl
New Jersey Devils @nhldevilspr
New York Islanders @ny_islanders
New York Rangers @nyrangers
Ottawa Senators @ottawa_senators
Philadelphia Flyers @philadelphiaflyers
Phoenix Coyotes @phoenixcoyotes
Pittsburgh Penguins @penguins
San Jose Sharks @sanjosesharksofficial
St. Louis Blues @stlouisblues
Tampa Bay Lightning @tblightning
Toronto MapleLeafs @torontomapleleafs
Vancouver Canucks @canucks
Washington Capitals @washingtoncaps
Winnipeg Jets @nhljets