The first day of Blackhawks training camp was rather eventful as far as news with most of the substantial nuggets being about players and topics off ice.
With so much fluctuating in the world of hockey and world in general, the capacity to be flexible and adapt at a moment's notice is crucial for franchises.
Note:
Observations and reflections are based on video clips shared on social media by Scott Powers of the Athletic and Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago.
--
Camp Roster
The Hawks were the last team in the league to announce its camp roster. Regardless of the timing, here is the official announcement per the team's social media:
Quick notes:
* As expected, Jonathan Toews, Kirby Dach, and Alex Nylander were not on the roster due to injuries.
* Brent Seabrook and Evan Barratt were deemed "unfit to play" at the very start of on-ice activities.
* Pius Suter worked out off ice but was tagged with the "unfit to play" label later in the afternoon.
* Although he is at full health, Zack Smith was placed on waivers with intentions of AHL demotion.
* Carl Soderberg is also healthy but just hampered by immigration protocols delaying his arrival.
* Michal Teply and Michael Krutil ended their WJC experience with the Czech Team and are in camp.
--
Temporarily Unavailable
While it may be startling to see Seabrook, Barratt, and Suter on the "unfit to play" list and Soderberg with stalled travel to Chicago, it is not uncommon.
Most teams are having similar issues whether due to the "unfit to play" phenomenon, short- and long-term injuries, immigration red tape, and COVID quarantine.
The scuttlebutt is to expect this flux for the duration of camp and into the regular season, hence, the implementation of expanded rosters and taxi squads.
--
Veteran Presence
The intention of Smith on waivers is to pass him through to Rockford so he can be an additional veteran presence with Cody Franson to lead the prospects.
Besides a few career minor leaguers who are in their late 20s, the Hogs have no veterans with NHL experience besides Franson who is on a one-year AHL contract.
Franson and Smith would provide role modeling and mentorship for the wave of prospects expected to methodically graduate to the Hawks over the next few years.
Additionally, newly minted development coach Erik Condra will provide another veteran NHLer in Rockford. The Hawks hired Condra (34) on the same day he retired.
--
Game On, Part 2
Yesterday the AHL confirmed which teams are in and out for the season. The Hogs are in but the Milwaukee Admirals (Predators), Charlotte Checkers (Panthers) and Springfield Thunderbirds (Blues) opted out.
The Hogs division will include the Chicago Wolves (Hurricanes), Grand Rapids Griffins (Red Wings), Cleveland Monsters (Blue Jackets), Texas Stars, and Iowa Wild.
The divisions will be irregular in a few ways:
* 5 divisions instead of 4
* Divisions vary in size
* One division has only 3 teams
* Another division has 8 teams
* Each division will play a different total of games ranging from 24 to 40
More details about the AHL season are forthcoming. Either way, the regular season is set to launch on February 5.
One other tidbit to know is the maximum number of Hogs who can be sent to the Hawks ECHL affiliate in Indy is six.
--
Season Coverage
For the 2021 season, you can expect coverage of both the Hawks and Hogs on this blog. For the Hawks, there will be previews and reviews for each game.
For the Hogs, while there may not be capsules per game, there will be updates on trending players and other prominent prospect news shared on the blog as well.
My subscriptions to the NHL and AHL streaming packages have been renewed so get ready for a double dose of content for the varsity and JV teams.
--
See you on the boards!
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»