NEWSLETTER
I’ll do without the music and TV show references today as the Blackhawks continued training camp at the Fifth Third Arena in Chicago. If you’re unable to visit the team during one of their practices, the Blackhawks beat reporters do a great job providing the sights and sounds of training camp and it makes you feel like you’re there. Outside of the freezing cold rink temperature, that is.
I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but Jonathan Toews looks good in his first real on-ice sessions in nearly a year.
Jonathan Toews scores and sprints back to defend. pic.twitter.com/M7mfLhUTYb
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) September 24, 2021
Toews and the Blackhawks are going to take things one day at a time, which we all should be doing too, but it’s hard when you get to see the Captain back on the ice and looking like he hasn’t missed a step. Maybe there is something to the reports that he is in the best shape of his life after missing the 2020-21 season.
Toews sneaks one by Fleury pic.twitter.com/YytDVOibud
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) September 24, 2021
I applaud Philipp Kurashev for his efforts trying to defend Patrick Kane, but good luck to you, bud. This is just elite-level veteran skills.
This was interesting. I was focusing on Kurashev and you can see how he’s trying to defend Kane to pass and shoot. When Kurashev moved his stick to defend the pass, Kane took the opening to shoot. pic.twitter.com/7mLvBPpfCa
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) September 24, 2021
Speaking of elite veterans in camp, Marc-André Fleury is continuing to get comfortable in net with the Blackhawks as training camp gets underway. Brandon Hagel had a good tip attempt during one of the drills today, but Fleury was up to the challenge. Gonna need more than this to beat a Vezina-winning goaltender.
Fleury saves Hagel’s tip attempt pic.twitter.com/zauOQ7V874
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) September 24, 2021
This just makes me tired watching it.
Fleury putting in the sprint work, too pic.twitter.com/rXdx0j1MMk
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) September 24, 2021
Collin Delia was working with the first group of skaters today after Kevin Lankinen and Mike Hardman were put in COVID protocol. Delia let the ice during the sprints, though, and word was he looked to be in some discomfort leaving the ice.
Collin Delia just left the ice and looked to be in a lot of discomfort. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/b9XBv6qK4I
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) September 24, 2021
Hopefully all is well with Delia. We’ll find out tomorrow for sure.
Jeremy Colliton on Collin Delia, who left practice early: “I haven’t gotten the update. It was a hard skate. I don’t foresee it being an issue, but I haven’t gotten the latest.” #Blackhawks
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) September 24, 2021
After the first session of the day, which so far has included pretty much all of the NHL-level players in camp, the second session was a split-squad scrimmage between the ‘B’ and ‘C’ groups. That group included Alex Nylander, who is riding the fence between the NHL and AHL during training camp. More of this in the preseason will only help Nylander’s case to be back in the NHL lineup as a regular contributor.
Iso on Alex Nylander pic.twitter.com/elvpypUQiD
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) September 24, 2021
Also looking to break into the NHL lineup as a regular contributor this season is Adam Gaudette. We talked about the position battle with the middle-six forwards in Chicago, and both Gaudette and Nylander are right in the middle of that competition in camp.
Iso on Gaudette pic.twitter.com/c8uiwDP3qs
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) September 24, 2021
These scrimmages in camp are vital to players like Nylander and Gaudette, but also to the more prospect level and AHL players in camp since they will be unlikely to play in most of the preseason games coming up. Speaking of which, the Blackhawks first preseason game is just five days away as they will take on the Detroit Red Wings at home on September 29th. While it’s still a preseason game, it’s at least a game with players going against guys who aren’t their teammates. And it’s Blackhawks and Red Wings, so preseason or not, it’ll be a spirited contest.
