Pete Crow-Armstrong and Caleb Williams supporting Connor Bedard at a Chicago Blackhawks game on January 18, 2026. Alexa Walsh.

Pete Crow-Armstrong, Caleb Williams, Matas Buzelis, and Connor Bedard: these are the names that have promised to usher in a new era of Chicago sports. For the teams they represent, the era of dominance has been long gone. It has been an entire decade since the 108-year drought-ending World Series win for the Chicago Cubs. For the Chicago Bears, it has been an even longer 40 years since the 1985 Super Bowl Shuffle team clinched the team’s lone Super Bowl win. It has been over 30 years since the Michael Jordan dynasty era of the Chicago Bulls. Finally, it has been 10 years since the Chicago Blackhawks enjoyed their dynasty era.

To be a Chicago sports fan is to know the highs and lows of sports culture. In recent years, it has been a period marked especially by lows. The Cubs have been aching for new leadership ever since the landmark consecutive trades of Anthony Rizzo, Javier Báez, and Kris Bryant ahead of the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft deadline in 2021.The Bulls have missed the playoffs for the last four seasons, struggling to find their footing in an ever-competitive National Basketball Association (NBA). The Bears had also missed the National Football League (NFL) playoffs for five consecutive seasons following the infamous “double doink,” until a recent playoff appearance in January 2026. The Blackhawks are no different, having underperformed since their 2010s superstars have either retired or been traded, and they have been unable to reach postseason hockey since the 2019–20 National Hockey League (NHL) season.

However, it seems there may be light at the end of the tunnel for Chicagoans. With recent player acquisitions, either through drafts or trades, the Cubs, Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks have brought some hope onto their rosters. Crow-Armstrong and Williams have so far been the most shining examples of this new young core, with Crow-Armstrong joining the 40/40 club in the 2026 MLB regular season and Williams throwing one of the most electric passes in the 2025–26 NFL playoffs. That’s not to say Buzelis and Bedard are not making their marks on their respective teams, however, as Buzelis put up 16.3 points-per-game in the 2025–26 NBA season, and Bedard recently earned the captaincy for the Blackhawks, a high honor for a 21-year-old player.

What makes this young group particularly exciting is not just their blossoming careers, but also their camaraderie. These young athletes have been seen numerous times supporting one another at their games in Chicago. Most recently, Williams and Buzelis were spotted at Wrigley Field supporting Crow-Armstrong on September 3, as Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 2–1. Earlier in the year, Crow-Armstrong and Williams sat at the glass as Bedard and the Blackhawks faced former Chicago legend Jonathan Toews and the Winnipeg Jets on January 18, following up that experience only two days later by sitting courtside as Buzelis and the Bulls defeated the Los Angeles Clippers.

Clearly, these four understand the unique positions they are in. The city of Chicago has one of the richest sports histories in the nation—the Chicago Cubs recently celebrated their 150th anniversary and the Blackhawks celebrated their centennial—so it is no wonder that these young four have a lot on their shoulders. Yet, by wearing one another’s jerseys and attending each other’s games, this young core has embraced both the city and its rich sports landscape.

So, what does this mean for Chicago sports culture? Besides the hope of more wins, deeper playoff runs, and possibly individual accolades, this trend also injects joy into the city. No other city in the United States can claim to have these cross-sport connections between its talented superstar athletes. Especially with a trade-heavy era across all professional sports, it is rare to see athletes connect across teams within the same city, as players’ stays in cities are often short-lived. Importantly, not only does this interconnectedness bring together the players, but it also brings together the fans. For example, a diehard Bears fan who has never watched a hockey game may be interested in how the Blackhawks are doing after seeing Williams wear Bedard’s jersey by the rink. In that sense, this unity and friendship between each team’s star players is incredibly rare, and not something the city of Chicago should be taking for granted.

Hopefully Crow-Armstrong, Williams, Buzelis, and Bedard are lifelong Chicagoans before their far-away retirement, but with such a trade-happy professional sports landscape, fans can only cross their fingers. That is why this current era should be savored, so that when it does end, fans can look back on it with delight.