Literally any minute now, the Chicago Blackhawks should be releasing their prospect tournament and training camp rosters. Like, any minute.
The first preseason game of the year is in 17 days on September 29th against the Detroit Red Wings, and the regular season starts in 31 days on October 13th against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver. If you’ve been like me, stalking players’ Instagram accounts, you’d have seen plenty of posts with players spending time in Chicago ahead of camp starting and one of the biggest things for the guys in town to do, besides golf, is going to Cubs and White Sox games.
• On Friday, we saw Dylan Strome and his family, along with MacKenzie Entwistle, enjoying the return of Kris Bryant at the Cubs game. Yesterday, Wyatt Kalynuk headed to Wrigley to watch the Cubs get schnockered by the Giants…
#Blackhawks defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk checking in today from the #Cubs game
(📸 IG: Kalynuk_7) pic.twitter.com/lm3ctzyFDC— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) September 11, 2021
• Later in the evening on the South Side, Philipp Kurashev and Nicolas Beaudin headed to Guaranteed Rate Field to see the White Sox fall to the Red Sox in extra innings…
Philipp Kurashev and Nicolas Beaudin checking out the #WhiteSox tonight#Blackhawks
(📸 IG: beaudz92) pic.twitter.com/9yosqHs3dS— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) September 12, 2021
• Which Blackhawks player do you think could demolish the most ballpark hot dogs?
• The United Center ice, which we saw get painted this week in preparation for the 2021-22 season, will have some new ads and honors to it.
New Center Ice: 2022 Chicago Blackhawks – United Centerhttps://t.co/QTD7LuPrOS#NHL #Blackhawks #CenterIce
We will add the remaining advertisements once we see all of them.— TheFaceoff.net (@thefaceoffnet) September 11, 2021
• According to TheFaceoff dot net, the Blackhawks will be honoring legendary goaltender Tony Esposito with his retired No. 35 painted on the ice behind both nets all season. Esposito passed away last month and the team has done the same in the past with Stan Mikita’s No. 21 painted on the ice after his passing in August of 2018.
• According to a new report from Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Blackhawks have filed new, amended motions to dismiss both lawsuits currently being brought against the team.
NEW: The Blackhawks filed Friday amended motions to dismiss both Bradley Aldrich sexual assault-related lawsuits.
One motion focuses on the lack of evidence the Hawks gave Aldrich a recommendation letter, calling that claim "demonstrably false."
Details: https://t.co/WMO82Y7vVg
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) September 11, 2021
• As Pope reports, the Blackhawks are moving to dismiss the lawsuit stemming from alleged incidents in 2013 involving former video coach Brad Aldrich and a Michigan high school student based on the the lack of evidence to support a claim that the team sent a recommendation letter to Houghton High School on Aldrich’s behalf.
• In connection to the lawsuit against the team stemming from the alleged incidents in 2010 involving Aldrich and former Blackhawks players, the team continues to move to dismiss the case based on the expiration of the statute of limitations, but the new development comes from the organization claiming the statute of limitations would have expired in 2012, because the player (John Doe 1), was an adult who was fully aware of the incident.
• Seems like all signs point to the probability that we’re going to continue with these lawsuits into the start of the season.
• Changing gears, a Happy Blackhawks Birthday to Martin Lapointe!
Happy 48th Birthday today to Martin Lapointe! #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/tGSNsWhPO7
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) September 12, 2021
• The last Blackhawks Captain before Jonathan Toews, Lapointe turns 48-years-old today.
• From former Blackhawks to future Blackhawks, Chicago’s 2021 fourth-round pick Victor Stjernborg skated in his first SHL game of the season with Växjö Lakers and tallied his first assist of the season.
Here’s #Blackhawks prospect, Victor Stjernborg (#9 in blue) primary assist from today. He does a nice job forcing a turnover, gets up ice and makes a good pass to Emil Forslund. #SHL #HockeyTwitter #HawksProspects pic.twitter.com/HFzvmTTYmE
— Chicago Prospects (@Chi_Prospects) September 11, 2021
• Stjernborg could be a player to watch from the 2021 Blackhawks draft class that could end up being a steal in a few seasons.
• Today is a big day in Chicago: day one of the Justin Fi-, uh, Andy Dalton era…
It’s Andy Dalton’s Time To Shine and Other Bears Bulletshttps://t.co/8WzgkfeQRZ
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) September 12, 2021
• Bears take on the Rams tonight on Sunday Night Football, the first Sunday of the NFL regular season. Hope you all have your fantasy lineups set!
Da boys will be cheering on #DaBears this season @chicagobears 👊 pic.twitter.com/JwzL1ihPrN
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 12, 2021
• That will do it for today. Have yourselves a good Sunday!
• A weekend reminder, be sure to send your Blackhawks questions to me on Twitter using the hashtag #BNHawksMailbag or email them to me using Mario.tirabassi at bleachernation dot com and I will get them answered for the Monday Mailbag segment!