It’s Sunday. We’re now two sleeps away from the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery. Can you feel the anticipation? Or are you like me and this year’s lottery is a really big event that’s still only registering at like… a 6 on the scale of Jack Skille to OMG IT’S HAPPENING! Last year was the biggy, and the Blackhawks landed Connor Bedard. This year it would be incredible if they landed the top pick and Macklin Celebrini, but I don’t feel like there’s anywhere close to the amount of emotional investment in it.
Speaking of investment and emotions… the fine folks at The Athletic shared some fairly significant news on Saturday afternoon. Standard Media Group, NOT Stadium, is going to partner with the Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox on the new television network for the three teams. And right out of the gate we get some exciting, encouraging news:
The media group is expected to make the network, which is unnamed, available across “multiple platforms,” including over-the-air and carriage agreements with cable and streaming providers.
Over-the-air you say? Let’s go! According to this report, the new television broadcast home for all three teams will begin in October. So… a couple months after the White Sox are eliminated and just before the Blackhawks and Bulls’ seasons get started.
The IceHogs host a must-win Game 4 in Rockford tonight.
Speaking of Must Win, Game 7 of the Toronto-Boston first-round series required overtime last night! Remember that time like a week ago when there were people asking where David Pastrňák had gone and when he was going to impact the series? Well… he ended it!
Here’s your updated Eastern Conference schedule now that both series have been set:
Really good stuff here from Ben Pope at the Chicago Sun-Times. We’ve discussed how the current Blackhawks front office is moving forward with prospects, opting to burn the first years of ELCs for guys like Alex Vlasic, Wyatt Kaiser, Landon Slaggert and Frank Nazar for a modest NHL sample in Year One. Pope makes good points about the Blackhawks minimizing the cost of a second contract by getting the players there faster/earlier in their professional careers. It’s an interesting piece to read and consider.
Finally, some good news on the injury front for the Cubs!
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