The Chicago Blackhawks marked their Centennial season with more than just a celebration of hockey history. In partnership with Unicorn, the team’s charitable foundation staged a once‑in‑a‑lifetime auction that shattered fundraising records and underscored the power of pairing rare spirits with community purpose.

Founded in 1993, the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation has contributed more than $40 million to local causes across Illinois, supporting youth hockey, after‑school programs, mental health initiatives, and food security. Its mission is to build stronger, more equitable communities throughout Chicago, and the Centennial Charity Auction offered a historic platform to extend that mission into the team’s 100th year.

The auction, which launched during the Centennial Season Home Opener on October 11 and closed a week later, raised an unprecedented $392,625 in hammer value ($451,518 including buyers’ premium), nearly tripling the Foundation’s previous fundraising record of $188,587 from a combined live and silent auction.

At the heart of the event was the Very Very Old Fitzgerald 18‑Year “Blackhawk” bottling (sold for $85,200), a legendary whiskey distilled in 1969 at Stitzel‑Weller using its wheated mashbill and bottled exclusively for the Wirtz family, the longtime owners of the Chicago Blackhawks and one of the nation’s most influential beverage distribution dynasties. Never released publicly, the bottle represents a rare intersection of bourbon craftsmanship and hockey heritage. At 121 proof, it's the highest strength ever bottled under the Old Fitz label, the result of the barrels being stored on a higher floor in one of the Stitzel-Weller rickhouses. Its inclusion, alongside a private tasting with Blackhawks Chairman Danny Wirtz and Julian Van Winkle III (sold for $177,800), the third‑generation Kentucky distiller behind the famed Pappy Van Winkle bourbons, created a headline lot that drew bourbon collectors and hockey fans alike.

Other highlights included the first ever Brook Hill 18‑Year barrel pick with Pablo Moix (sold for $77,400) from Rare Character, the complete 2025 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (sold for $8,050), tickets to a Jim Gaffigan comedy show with access to bottles from his private barrel picks (sold for $4,625), and Blackhawks memorabilia such as a team‑signed Centennial jersey. 

For Unicorn, the Centennial event built on a track record of mobilizing collectors for a good cause. Earlier this year, the platform raised $420,000 through its Bourbon Bonanza Charity Auction, demonstrating how digital auctioneering can channel passion into philanthropy.

“The partnership between Unicorn Auctions and the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation was a truly special collaboration to mark a century of Blackhawks history,” said Phil Mikhaylov, CEO and co‑founder of Unicorn Auctions. “Our goal was to create an auction that celebrated both legacy and community impact. Being able to use the Unicorn platform to support such a great cause is an amazing feeling, and I’m proud that in just three months we’ve helped raise over $1 million for charity on Unicorn.”

The record‑setting proceeds will go directly toward expanding youth access to hockey across Chicago over the next decade. “The generosity from this auction will have an immediate and lasting impact,” said Danny Wirtz, Blackhawks chairman. “These funds help advance our $3 million Centennial Commitment—ensuring every young person across Chicago has the chance to experience the game through floor hockey, learn‑to‑skate, and community programs that make the sport more accessible and inclusive for all.”

As the gavel fell on October 18, the Centennial Charity Auction had done more than raise funds. It wove together history, rarity, and generosity into a singular moment—one that honored the Blackhawks’ past while investing in the future of Chicago’s youth.