The menu features Dump And Chase Nachos and the Five Hole Onion Rings. There are a multitude of options among the Stack The Pads Sandwiches, including chicken, turkey and sausage; and cleverly titled pizzas skate in the Za’mboni Pies section. Oh yeah, there are Healthy Scratches, including the Garbage Goal Salad and the Cobb Celly Salad; and dessert options include Chippy Churr-os.

Cocktails include The Gordie, Maple Leaf, Miracle On Ice and 5 For Fighting

Clearly, The Barn Hockey Bar in downtown Chicago is living up to its name as the place for hockey in the city. The menu is curated around hockey themes throughout and the motif inside is sticks, gloves, jerseys, skates, pucks and so much more.

The Barn opened in October, a 7-minute walk from the United Center.

“With Fifth Third (Arena) building two more rinks, with (Connor) Bedard and the Blackhawks … we are at the crest of a new wave of hockey excitement in Illinois, and we wanted to provide a place where fans can enjoy games and the sport,” said Spencer Montgomery, a partner and Director of Operations for The Barn and the head coach for the Saint Ignatius varsity hockey team.

The Barn has been in the works since early-2023 with owner Paul Marobella, Montgomery and their team focused on every slapshot, as The Barn seats 225 people – and it truly is the perfect location for pre-game gatherings, post-game celebrations and everything in between. Hockey reigns at The Barn, where the walls showcase vintage hockey memorabilia to the 60-plus flat-screen TVs broadcasting the latest games.

The grand opening on October 21 was packed from 1 p.m. to 2 a.m., including appearances by Chris Chelios, Darren Pang and Scott Darling, among others.

“We’ve really made an effort to tell the stories of people from this area who have contributed to the game of hockey, and that resonates around the bar,” Montgomery said. The Barn spotlights Eddie Olczyk, Chris Chelios, Gino Cavallini, Kendall Coyne and others. “We didn’t want this to just be a Blackhawks bar. It’s really just a gathering place to watch hockey of all types.”

The Barn is a sponsor of the SHL Network and held an SHL season-kickoff celebration on October 23, with coaches and players from throughout the league attending.

The Barn’s thin-crust pizza has, in the bar’s first period, been the biggest hit so far.

The Barn also features two golf simulators in its Gilmore Room, in tribute to Happy Gilmore, plus old-school bubble hockey games and more. Each booth represents an Original 6 hockey team.

“I’m very proud of my involvement within the Illinois hockey community and where we’re heading,” Montgomery said. “The hockey community really sticks together. When we opened The Barn, we wanted it to be a place where people can relax, watch hockey, discuss their favorite players and plays, and just unwind a little.”

One of the most eye-catching collectibles at The Barn is a Zamboni. Well, half a Zamboni. “We have a Zamboni from Johnny’s Icehouse that we cut in half and put into the wall,” Montgomery said.

The Barn offers a wide range of elevated bar food, with ample healthy options. There is a staff at The Barn of about 20, including bartender Art Moher, who was the radio play-by-play voice of the Boston University Terriers from 1976 to 1979 and then spent about 15 years as a manager and bartender at Stanley’s Kitchen and Tap. “He has tons of hockey stories and knows the community,” Montgomery said.