On Tuesday, the Chicago Blackhawks announced a multi-year deal with Circa Sports. They will now be the official home jersey patch of the Blackhawks starting in 2024-25. This makes history in the NHL with Chicago being the first “Original Six” franchise to have a patch on their jersey. Circa Sports is one of eight legal betting apps available in Illinois. Making their partnership with the Blackhawks a no-brainer. Circa Sports launched mobile and retail betting last September. They serve as the sportsbook for Full House Resorts which operates American Place casino in Waukegan. Circa Sports CEO Derek Stevens had this to say about their new partnership with the Blackhawks.
“Growing up as a hockey fan, I’m overwhelmed with the opportunity, and the responsibility, that goes along with partnering with an Original Six team and a team with the most iconic home jersey in sports,” said Stevens. “We are ecstatic to showcase the new Blackhawks jersey with such a young and exciting team.”
Heading into the 2024 NHL Draft this Friday, Chicago has the second overall pick. In 2023, they had the first overall pick and took top prospect Connor Bedard. Despite adding him to their roster, the Blackhawks still finished with the second-worst record in the NFL last season. With the second pick in 2024, the Blackhawks are looking to add another potential franchise player to pair with Bedard.
What prior deals did Circa Sports have?
Circa Sports is based in Las Vegas and they previously had a multi-year agreement with the Vegas Golden Knights before the 2022-23 season. However, Circa Sports has changed directions and is partnering with the Chicago Blackhawks. In February, they partnered with the Chicago Cubs’ Marquee Sports Network, their flagship TV station. Blackhawks fans will see the Circa Sports logo debuted on their team’s jersey this Friday at the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft. Despite the Blackhawks not having much team success last season, Illinois sportsbooks did well on wagers for hockey. From October – April, their total sports betting handle reached $253.3 million.
