NEWSLETTER
This week, we were having fun with the NHL/NHLPA Media Tour with the first unveiling of Marc-André Fleury and Seth Jones in their new Chicago Blackhawks gear. But, then, when it was Patrick Kane’s turn to be front and center for the Media Tour, the fun kind of stopped.
• On Friday, Kane was asked about the alleged incidents from 2010 involving his former Blackhawks teammates and former video coach Brad Aldrich. For the first time since the allegations and lawsuits became public, Kane spoke about the investigations, stating that he had no knowledge of them at the time and that he has been cooperating with the Jenner and Block investigation being done.
Patrick Kane Says He Did Not Know About the Alleged Assault Back in 2010https://t.co/oiJeiCGUIJ
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) September 17, 2021
• Kane saying he had no knowledge of the incidents at the time and that he did not know of any homophobic slurs or taunting of those former teammates fits in with the same stories from other players on that 2010 team like Jake Dowell and Jonathan Toews but is in contradiction to what former players like Nick Boynton and Brent Sopel have said. We don’t know who is telling the truth and who is not at this point. However, there is a clear difference between what players and former front office personnel who are still in the league are saying and people who are no longer affiliated with the league. We’ll have to continue to see how things play out.
• Even though Marc-André Fleury’s new Blackhawks mask took heat upon its reveal this week, the totality of his new setup is just great.
New season, new threads for Fleury. 🤩@NHLBlackhawks | @NHL pic.twitter.com/441SOKGPQ9
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 17, 2021
• The NHL/NHLPA Media Tour allowed for several reunions between friends and former teammates, and with Fleury, it seems like every former teammate is a friend.
https://twitter.com/NHLBlackhawks/status/1438941068402302984?s=20
• Nothing to see here, just a beer leaguer coming out of Johnny’s.
He just finished completing his registration for the fall men’s league. The elite league at @johnnysicehouse just got interesting. #hockey #nhl #ovechkin pic.twitter.com/F5nnIFyr92
— Barry Butler Photography (@barrybutler9) September 17, 2021
• Speaking of Crosby and Ovechkin, how’s this to make us all feel old:
Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, bffs for life. pic.twitter.com/vJTYWrNeC4
— chonky mcbroken (@tbhabhi) September 18, 2021
• But you know what, Father Time is getting all he can handle from Jaromir Jagr. At 49-years-old, Jagr is STILL playing professionally in the Czech Republic with Rytiri Kladno.
Jagr tucks the first goal of his 34th pro season. 😮 👏 pic.twitter.com/QsBOgNCzH7
— THE PRO SHOP (@ProShopHockey) September 17, 2021
• 49. That’s insane.
• Going from the very old to the very young, the Blackhawks prospects played their first of two games against the Minnesota Wild prospects at the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase last night. Here’s how the Chicago youngsters lined up:
#Blackhawks prospect lineup vs. Minnesota:
Dach-Reichel-Osipov
Hardman-Barratt-Teply
Altybarmakyan-Busdeker-Slavin
Pour-Gicewicz-LuypenPhillips-Regula
Allan-Crevier
Galvas-Krutil
del MastroSoderblom
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) September 18, 2021
• Highlights from the night came from D.J. Busdeker and Michal Teply as they scored the two goals for the Blackhawks last night.
Highlight: @goicehogs alum D.J. Busdeker makes it 1-1 with a power-play goal in the opening period. @NHLBlackhawks pic.twitter.com/7YFgqCRUbV
— Joseph Zakrzewski (@JoeyZRadio) September 18, 2021
Highlight: @goicehogs alum Michal Teply gives the @NHLBlackhawks a 2-1 lead with a power-play goal early in the 2nd period.
CHI is 2/2 on the PP tonight pic.twitter.com/Suf50DMQSt
— Joseph Zakrzewski (@JoeyZRadio) September 18, 2021
• Unfortunately, the Blackhawks fell to the Wild 3-2. Arvid Söderblom played the entire game in net. You can find the full highlights of the game here:
FULL HIGHLIGHTS: @goicehogs alums D.J. Busdeker and Michal Teply strike on the power-play for @NHLBlackhawks prospects, but @mnwild grabs late PPG for 3-2 in Game 1 of Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase in St. Paul. pic.twitter.com/tOyoIlI4rI
— Joseph Zakrzewski (@JoeyZRadio) September 18, 2021
• While they came up short in game one, the Blackhawks prospects shouldn’t be necessarily focused on wins or losses this weekend, but more on improvement day-over-day. In the first showing of a “real” hockey game since the end of last season, some of the top prospects in the Blackhawks system showed flashes of skill that make you all warm and tingly inside.
What an opportunity for #Blackhawks prospect, Lukas Reichel (#27). He’s looked excellent tonight. #HockeyTwitter pic.twitter.com/uYBuxw9ltE
— Chicago Prospects (@Chi_Prospects) September 18, 2021
• 2020 first-round pick Lukas Riechel and 2021 second-round pick Colton Dach connected a few times last night for scoring opportunities but could not capitalize on them. Still, good to see some chemistry between the young players developing.
Lukas Reichel (#27) to Colton Dach (#28) might be something teams have to watch out for in the future. #Blackhawks #HockeyTwitter pic.twitter.com/6D43g3ueDI
— Chicago Prospects (@Chi_Prospects) September 18, 2021
• The Blackhawks prospects and Wild prospects will play another game on Sunday afternoon to conclude the Prospect Showcase. You can watch the game on the Minnesota Wild YouTube page, with the puck dropping at 1:00 p.m. CT.
• The PHF continues to tease Chicago as a city they might expand to, and I’m getting anxious:
Chicago? Cleveland? Philly? Where should the #PHF go next? pic.twitter.com/xckPrmX2Lc
— PHF (@NWHL) September 18, 2021
• With the amount of talent in the PHF, the PWHPA, and the U.S. Women’s team from Illinois, it makes sense to me for the league to expand to the Chicago market. And selfishly, I’d love to take my daughter to a game and not have to travel to the East Coast. So just planning her future already, don’t mind me.
• That will do it for today. I hope you all enjoy your Saturday!
Hope you all have a great weekend! Be sure to send in your #Blackhawks questions for the final Monday Mailbag segment before training camp opens up this week! Use #BNHawksMailbag and I'll be sure to get them answered!
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) September 18, 2021
• Be sure to send in your questions for the next Monday Mailbag! You can use the hashtag #BNHawksMailbag on Twitter or send them in an email to me at Mario.Tirabassi at bleacher nation dot com. This will be the last Mailbag before training camp opens on Thursday.
