NEWSLETTER
I got to tell you, being at the Fifth Third Arena for yesterday’s Blackhawks practice was a treat. Obviously with COVID going on for as long as it has (honestly it feels like it’s been five years) I haven’t been able to go to many places indoors or enjoy the things I used to enjoy (and going to Blackhawks practices was/is one of those things). But being there in person and seeing everything up front was an awesome re-experience. But it was a one-off before the arrival of my first kid, which is three weeks away.
Whoa.
• What better way to get hyped about the Blackhawks continuing training camp today than a training camp hype video?
Clocking in ⏰ pic.twitter.com/37hux7Nj1n
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 28, 2021
• Yeah! Sports!
• The biggest focus for the Blackhawks on Monday was the first run-through with the powerplay units. The Blackhawks had a hot powerplay last season that fizzled in the second-half of the year. With the firepower on the roster offensively, it shouldn’t be a pleasant surprise when Chicago finishes a season in the top-half of the league on the man-advantage, but in recent years, that has been the case for the Blackhawks.
An Early Look at the Chicago Blackhawks 2021-22 Powerplay Unitshttps://t.co/PbBzo7rCnu
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) September 27, 2021
• The top unit for the Blackhawks was comprised of Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat, Tyler Johnson, Seth Jones, and Jonathan Toews. So far through four days of training camp, there have been no signs on the ice that Toews isn’t in the kind of shape he’d need to be in the be on track to play on the opening night of the season on October 13th. Which is great.
One thing I find interesting is that Jeremy Colliton is putting Jonathan Toews in spots where it seems like he believes Toews will be ready for the season opener.
Second-line center. Top power-play unit.
My guess is Toews will be ready. Just don't hold me to it.
— John Dietz (@johndietzdh) September 27, 2021
• That top powerplay unit, using the 1-3-1 formation, had DeBrincat with Kane and Johnson as the three players throughout the middle. That trio of players has also become the defacto top-line for the Blackhawks so far through the first days of camp. Whether or not that remains the case as the season draws nearer, Tyler Johnson is having a good time getting to play with Patrick Kane so far in his Blackhawks career.
Tyler Johnson on playing with Kane:
"Kane plays very similar to Kuch, who I played a lot of time with… They don’t need you to be right next to them, helping them all the time… It’s really just about trying to get open, try to give them a passing lane to be ready to score."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) September 27, 2021
• Also playing on a line together is Toews and Brandon Hagel. Two players who are also playing together for the first time and after a breakout rookie season last year, Hagel’s reward is getting to play alongside a motivated, returning Toews.
Brandon Hagel on finally getting to know Jonathan Toews (which started this summer).
"He's just a captain to say the least. He's just always talking to guys, getting to know guys. The best way to describe it is he's the captain. He makes everyone feel comfortable."#Blackhawks
— Joe Brand (@Joe_Brand1) September 27, 2021
• Asked yesterday about who will be like Hagel was last year, as the big breakout rookie, Hagel had praise for his Rockford IceHogs roommate: MacKenzie Entwistle.
Brandon Hagel was asked who will be this year's Hagel-esque breakout. He said Entwistle.
"The way he talks, the way he portrays himself, he really wants to get to that next level and I think he has the ability to do so. He can really be a surprise somewhere down the line."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) September 27, 2021
• There’s plenty of opportunity for the Blackhawks’ middle and bottom-six forwards group in training camp. Players like Entwistle, Adam Gaudette, Henrik Borgström, Alex Nylander, and Dylan Strome are fighting for NHL ice time and the completion can only be a good thing to bring out the best of each player early in the preseason.
• Speaking of competition in camp, the goalie battle for who would be the starter this year was pretty much settled when the Blackhawks acquired Marc-André Fleury. But that isn’t to say that Kevin Lankinen isn’t going to try to battle for more starts than he maybe was originally going to be allocated this season.
Kevin Lankinen's reaction to Marc-Andre Fleury's arrival:
"If you want to be the best one day, you've got to learn from the best, you've got to compete with the best, and at the end of the day, you've got to beat the best."
Full quote: pic.twitter.com/oeABOGSjKX
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) September 27, 2021
• The battle is now who will be the backup to Fleury, with Lankinen as the assumed backup ahead of Collin Delia and Malcolm Subban. None of whom are just going to lay down in camp and let the others have anything. Again, the competition in camp is only bringing out the best of each player.
"He's kind of a new guy coming in. But at the same time he's more like a father figure for all of us younger goalies."
– #Blackhawks' Kevin Lankinen on Marc-Andre Fleury— John Dietz (@johndietzdh) September 27, 2021
• Thanks to the publishing of the team pictures, we saw who will be the Blackhawks leadership group this season. To little surprise, Jonathan Toews is still the Captain with Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat as alternate captains, but that has yet to be confirmed by the team.
Colliton said no official decisions have actually been made yet on the alternate captains. https://t.co/seBXXCSufB
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) September 27, 2021
• A Happy IceHogs birthday to defenseman Isaak Phillips, who turns 20 today!
Happy birthday toooo youuuu! Have a great day, @isaakphillips7! 🎂🎉 pic.twitter.com/Jhx6izJgVJ
— x – Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) September 28, 2021
• Ah, to be young.
• Today is also the birthday of former Blackhawks goaltender Ray Emery.
Remembering former #Blackhawks Stanley Cup Champion Ray Emery on his birthday today #RIPRazor pic.twitter.com/aGZbFdQAj5
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) September 28, 2021
• Emery, who passed away in the summer of 2018, played two of his nine NHL seasons with the Blackhawks in 2011-12 and 2013. Emery was part of the William Jennings Trophy-winning tandem in 2013 with Corey Crawford that helped the Blackhawks start the season with a 21-0-3 record and went on the win the President’s Trophy and the Stanley Cup.
Remember that time Ray Emery stole a game for the #Blackhawks in 2013? That was awesome. pic.twitter.com/zfeyu8kFX8
— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) September 28, 2021
• Emery was a revered teammate wherever he went in the NHL and AHL and his passing shook the hockey world. He is always going to be remembered fondly in Chicago and is always a Blackhawks legend.
• Speaking of former Blackhawks, David Kämpf is suddenly an offensive juggernaut with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
DAVID KAMPF 🚨
Merry Christmas pic.twitter.com/xriChOokMh
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) September 28, 2021
• LOL, seriously?
• Another former Chicago Blackhawk in the news this morning, Alexi Zhamnov has been named the head coach for the Russian 2022 Winter Olympics Men’s hockey team.
https://twitter.com/khl_eng/status/1442786910225772548?s=20
• You’ll remember Shamnov from his seven and a half seasons spent with the Blackhawks in the late-90’s and early-00’s, serving as Captain in the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons.
• Today’s training camp session for the Blackhawks will be a split-squad scrimmage. Here’s how Team Black and Team Red will lineup:
#Blackhawks are having an intrasquad scrimmage today. Here are the rosters. pic.twitter.com/XHgP3ZeFp3
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) September 28, 2021
• Rookie Lukas Reichel skating on the wing with Jonathan Toews and Brandon Hagel, along with Kirby Dach being flanked by Dominik Kubalík and Philipp Kurashev have my attention today.
• That will do it for today. Hope you all have a great Tuesday!
