NEWSLETTER
So, this is a bit of a surprise. On Thursday morning, the Chicago Blackhawks called up defenseman Ethan Del Mastro from Rockford.
What makes the move surprising is a number of factors. First, expectations are/were that Connor Murphy would be back for this weekend’s final two home games. And, with Murphy potentially returning, the Blackhawks would already have seven defensemen on the roster. So… yeah.
It isn’t that Del Mastro hasn’t earned at least a brief late-season look at the NHL ice. The 21-year-old has appeared in 66 games with the IceHogs in his first professional season, registering 37 points (seven goals, 30 assists). His 30 assists are tied for tenth among all AHL defensemen and rank second among all Rockford skaters. Del Mastro also represented the IceHogs at the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic in San Jose.
Originally a fourth-round pick (No. 105) by the Blackhawks in the 2021 NHL Draft, Del Mastro could become the first member of the Hawks’ draft class from that year to make his NHL debut.
UPDATE: It sounds like the plan is for Del Mastro to play in the final two home games of the Blackhawks’ regular season and then go back to Rockford for their playoff run. Del Mastro said he wasn’t even thinking about getting the call and was surprised when he found out on Wednesday night. He’ll have his parents and brother in town for his debut.
