NEWSLETTER
So about yesterday…
First, we want to thank everyone for your understanding as we took a break yesterday afternoon from our regularly scheduled Blackhawks coverage. I’ll assume none of you live under rocks, so I won’t rehash the events at the Capitol. It just did not seem like the right time to talk about hockey when there were more pressing matters going on in our country. We understand that for a lot of you, sports is an escape from the world around you. It is for us, too. That’s why we want to get back into it today and hopefully provide the escape and enjoyment you’ve come to know from Bleacher Nation.
• With that being said, let’s get into the news: The Blackhawks are off today. With an abbreviated training camp, and the league heading directly into regular season games, the NHL mandated that there be one scheduled off-day for all teams during camp. Today is that day for Chicago. But just because the Blackhawks are off, doesn’t mean there’s not much to get into. Especially since we are just six days away from opening night.
• Earlier this week, we touched briefly on Andrew Shaw returning to the Blackhawks, fully healthy and fully prepared for the upcoming season, and sporting a new visor:
Andrew Shaw on finally wearing a visor: “Yeah, I mean, my nose has been broken a few times. I’ve had enough cuts on my face. I’m pretty as it is right now, I don’t want to make that any worse. I think it’s both precautionary and (being) sick of bleeding everywhere.”
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) January 6, 2021
• Shaw missed nearly two-thirds of last season due to a concussion. His absence was felt by the Blackhawks on the ice as they missed his aggressive play and scoring ability. For the 29-year-old Shaw, the time away from the game gave him a new perspective on hockey and life after it. But it wasn’t an easy road. Shaw spoke to the media on Wednesday and alluded to the fact that “retirement” had crossed his mind in his 14 months away from hockey. Those 14 months were needed to undo a major amount of the toll that hockey can place upon a player’s body, mind, and family around him.
Andrew Shaw sounds not only healthy, but really happy and really well-adjusted in hockey and in life. Good for him, good for the Blackhawks.
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) January 6, 2021
• Shaw seems like he is in a better place in life now, and like he needed the change in perspective. Just don’t expect him to change his game:
Andrew Shaw: “How I play is why I’m here. I’m going to stick to that as best I can without putting myself in vulnerable situations.”
Says “it crossed his mind” whether he would ever play again. But his first goal was to feel better and like himself. “Grinded every day.”
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) January 6, 2021
• A lot of things are different about the 2021 season. Including whistles:
Apparently, Jeremy Colliton has been using a mechanic whistle vs. an actual whistle.
“It’s a little tougher to give your whistle some personality, but it is what it is.”
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) January 6, 2021
• Through this past offseason, the Chicago Blackhawks and specifically general manager Stan Bowman, made it a point to be more open and transparent with the media and the fan base. Whether it was about organization personnel or moves being made within the roster, the Blackhawks say they want to be more accessible. So far, decent. In that vein of transparency, Bowman held a lengthy Q&A with Mark Lazerus of The Athletic this week, giving a rundown on a lot of topics and issues facing the organization heading into the 2021 season. There were plenty of nuggets within the conversation, we’ll share a few here but out of respect to Mark and The Athletic, I’m not going to “word-for-word” it. I recommend reading the full piece and subscribing to The Athletic, if you don’t already.
• Bowman says the plan with placing Zack Smith on waivers was to open up another spot for the young players. Smith, who is in the final year of a four-year, $3.25M AAV contract, cleared waivers earlier this week and will likely be placed on the Blackhawks’ taxi squad or sent to the Rockford IceHogs once the AHL season starts on February 5.
• Bowman says there were a major amount of “pros” in sending Kirby Dach to the World Junior Championships with Canada, the only “con” they saw was the risk of injury. Then it happened.
• Brent Seabrook’s absence from training camp is not related to his hip and shoulder surgeries, according to Bowman.
• Finally, there is no timetable for a Jonathan Toews return. According to Bowman, Toews was starting to deal with low energy over the summer when the Blackhawks were playing the Golden Knights in the postseason bubble in Edmonton. Things didn’t improve over the offseason and Toews is now unavailable to the Blackhawks for the foreseeable future.
• It appears that Blackhawks prospect Michal Teplý of the Czech Republic was taking a lot of heat from his Czech National Team coach:
Men’s national team head coach Filip Pesan publicly criticized Michal Teply (#Blackhawks) for his bad attitude in training (at the Karjala Cup) and poor performance before WJC.
Pesan said the coaches were even considering releasing Teply from the WJC team before the tournament.
— Czech Prospects (@CZprospects) January 6, 2021
• Teplý had two assists in five games with the Czech Republic at the World Juniors. He played his first season in North America last year with the Winnipeg Ice of the WHL in Canada, scoring 29 goals and 63 points in 53 games. The 19-year-old is currently with the Blackhawks in training camp.
• Make sure you’re following us on Facebook, by the way, as we get the coverage launched – smack that like button:
• A Happy Birthday to former Blackhawks defenseman and 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Brent Sopel!
• I do not know what is going on with Corey Crawford, who has been absent from New Jersey Devils camp the past few days.
Everyone has questions about Corey Crawford. I, along with other writers from The Athletic, have reached out to people in various NHL circles seeking clarity on the situation. We’re not going to speculate about what’s going on without concrete information.
— Corey Masisak (@cmasisak22) January 7, 2021
• After Zdeno Chara left the Boston Bruins for the Washington Capitals, the B’s were left without a Captain. Well, fret no more:
The worst kept secret in NHL history is out: Patrice Bergeron is the new captain of the Boston Bruins.
— Amalie Benjamin (@AmalieBenjamin) January 7, 2021
• I’m glad the Red Wings are back in the same division as the Blackhawks this year because it actually gives me hope that Chicago is going to win some games and have a competitive rival this season, but man, am I glad they don’t have to deal with Pavel Datsyuk anymore. Dude is 42-years-old and still pulling off insane backhands:
The Magic Man with the magic backhand.
No one’s stopping that. Absolutely filthy. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/cDK2edTciR— Here’s Your Replay ⬇️ (@HeresYourReplay) January 5, 2021
