NEWSLETTER
Although we’re all still eagerly awaiting news on the return of the Blackhawks stud centerman, Kirby Dach, things are at least trending in the right direction. Earlier today we heard from Dach, himself, on the most recent episode of the Dropping the Gloves podcast with John Scott, and you’ll want to give it a listen for the latest.
(Though there’s more to the interview than just that):
Interview with @kdach77 is now live#HockeyTwitter #Blackhawks
Listen here: https://t.co/SMYuxdsxlt pic.twitter.com/UPJmC7M75x
— Dropping the Gloves (@dropping_gloves) March 26, 2021
Right off the bat, they discuss Dach and his non-existent fighting history. Dach discusses his origins in Western Canada, where he played two and a half years in the WHL without ever dropping his gloves: “I’ve been asked for one by a couple of meatheads running around out there,” but he hasn’t done it yet. One day Dach expects to get into a tussle, saying he’s waiting for the time someone makes him mad enough to go.
For Blackhawks fans, the hope is that his first fight isn’t anytime soon, given his recovery from broken wrist surgery in December. Right now, the focus is on when Dach will be back on the ice for Chicago.
“It kind of sucks,” Dach says of missing this season with his first injury in his career that required surgery. “Hopefully in the near future I can get in.” Scott asked him what his status was as of the recording, which took place Wednesday night. “I don’t really have a timetable, it’s more of a comfort thing. I still have some things that cause some pain, but working through that slowly and I’ll be out there as soon as I’m ready to go.”
On the topic of the World Junior Championships, Dach said that he had clearance from Blackhawks President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Stan Bowman to play in the tournament as early as the NHL draft when the tournament was announced to be a go. The caveat, according to Dach, was whether the tournament’s schedule interfered with the start of the NHL season. If it did, he would have been pulled from the tournament immediately, even if it was ahead of the Gold Medal game.
Obviously we know now that the schedules did not overlap in any way that would have affected the start of the NHL season. What did have an effect on his season was the play in which he broke his wrist.
Video of Kirby Dach’s injury in Team Canada’s exhibition game vs. Russia. He went straight to locker room. Not great. #Blackhawks
(🎥: @JDylanBurke) pic.twitter.com/gIdlPY4CJu
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 24, 2020
“You grow up wanting to be on that team,” Dach said of Team Canada. “There’s regret now that I broke my wrist, but I don’t regret going. I got to be a leader on that team and that helped me switch roles from being a young guy, to be a guy that players come to for advice.”
Dach also talks about his experience in the playoffs last summer, how the team has had success this season, and chronicled his draft experience back in June of 2019 when the Blackhawks selected him third-overall.
Being drafted 3rd overall… NBD for @kdach77 #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/xwaoTS0rDL
— Dropping the Gloves (@dropping_gloves) March 26, 2021
The full episode is a terrific listen and is only about 27 minutes long. Scott and his co-host Tim Wirzburger do a great job having an engaging discussion with Dach. Highly recommend checking out the whole thing!
