The 2023 NHL Entry Draft has come and gone, and most of the big free agency moves have already been done. But it just means that things are getting better in the hockey world while everyone else is ramping up to start a new season. Besides the apparent success of selecting Connor Beddard as the first overall pick, the Chicago Blackhawks are feeling good about their draft and free agency acquisitions. Let’s catch up on the latest news and gossip as we head into mid-July and the summer heat.
The Blackhawks 2023-24 schedule has been released
Blackhawks They released their official schedule for 2023-24 On June 27th in conjunction with the rest of the league. Opening night will be Tuesday, October 10, and will include a road competition against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Assuming young Bedard makes the list (he will), his NHL debut will be against his childhood idol, Sidney Crosby. This also marked the beginning of a five-game road trip. What a perfect way for the team to bond instantly! Their home opener is scheduled for Saturday, October 21, against the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights.
Related – Order of Blackhawks Draft Moves: From Bedard to Berry
The Blackhawks have been able to add more lucrative home games to fans’ schedule, including 25 home games that weekend and seven home games in the afternoon. February is a big month for a Blackhawks game at the United Center. They will host nine out of 10 matches that month.
Related – The 5 Must-Watch Blackhawks Games for 2023-24
Latest news and highlight
The preseason schedule includes six exhibition contests from September 28 to October 7, in which the Blackhawks will face the St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild, and Detroit Red Wings, with two games against each team (one home and one away).
Want to be the first to see Bedard in person? That will be on Thursday, September 28th at 7:30 PM against the Blues.
The development camp is different this year
We previously discussed how the Blackhawks decided to do things a little differently for their prospect development camp this year, which ran from June 30 through July 6. There was no part on the ice at all. Instead, the prospect participated in several group activities, including cooking classes, breathing exercises, boxing lessons, comedy club segments, and playing floor hockey with the youth of Chicago. They were treated by the organization to a Cubs game and a boat tour of Chicago.
Being real with friends 😎 pic.twitter.com/yAM0JW4mou
– Chicago Blackhawks (NHLBlackhawks) July 5, 2023
According to Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson, this approach was about the possibilities of bonding and making friends, but It was also more than that.
Just give them a little break from on-ice instruction and take it off the ice, and teach them a few different things that they probably won’t be exposed to on the amateur team and not so much when they turn pro.
You almost assume they know about things like media training and (things) like that. Just a bit of a different teaching group.
Potential Goalie Drew Commesso talked about learning from training and nutrition meetings. Prospective forward Paul Ludwinki liked the breathing techniques taught to them by former Blackhawks and two-time Stanley Cup champion Johnny O’Dea. And then there were sparring lessons.
work 🥊 pic.twitter.com/knVlCwiQwR
– Chicago Blackhawks (NHLBlackhawks) July 5, 2023
Fancy facing your future trainer in boxing gloves?! Yes, head coach Luke Richardson got in on the festivities, too. Top prospect Bedard showed his humble and common personality once again when asked about what His favorite activity at camp He was. “I loved the clinic we did with the kids. We played hockey on the floor and talked with them and we saw their excitement when we came. It was so cool.”
Useful audio alert 🎙️🚨 pic.twitter.com/yLxq8i3VoB
– Chicago Blackhawks (NHLBlackhawks) July 6, 2023
Overall, the camp appears to have been a success. Fans haven’t been able to see the players on the ice, but this new approach appears to greatly benefit prospects. That, of course, is the whole point of the development camp.
Number assignments for the new Blackhawks
The Blackhawks acquired some new players surrounding the recent draft and free agency, so they obviously need to get jersey numbers with their new team. It was so remarkable that Bedard was presented with jersey number 98 upon being drafted instead of the usual number 23 for the draft year. No. 98 is The number he chose for himself When he was only five years old. This will be the first time this number has been worn in franchise history.
RELATED – Meet the new Blackhawks: Conor Bedard
The team also got some veteran depth with the addition of forwards Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno from the Boston Bruins, Corey Perry from the Tampa Bay Lightning and Ryan Donato from the Seattle Kraken. Here are their new numbers with the Blackhawks.
New addition numbers for the Blackhawks:
Taylor Hall: #71
Corey Perry: #94
Ryan Donato: #8
Nick Foligno: #17Jason Dickinson changes to No. 16 (was No. 17).
– Ben Pop (@BenPopeCST) July 5, 2023
Hall and Foligno managed to keep the numbers they wore with the Bruins. While current Blackhawk Jason Dickinson wore No. 17 last season, he will switch to No. 16. This is the number he wore in his first three major league seasons with the Dallas Stars. Obviously, that doesn’t bode well for Joher Khaira, who wore the No. 16 last season with the Blackhawks. But he is an unrestricted free agent and we already know the organization is unlikely to re-sign.
Donato got the short end of the stick. He has worn four different numbers with four different clubs in his six-year NHL career. He originally wore No. 17 with the Bruins (already with Foligno with the Blackhawks), No. 16 with the San Jose Sharks (taken from Dickinson) and No. 9 with the Kraken (retired by the Blackhawks in honor of Bobby Hull). It’s a little unclear why Donato didn’t get a sixth, the number he wore with the Minnesota Wild (and which Jake McCabe last wore with the Blackhawks). Who knows, maybe one of the defensive prospects has Dibs on that number. No. 8, by the way, was recently worn by defender Jack Johnson last season, and striker Dominic Kubalek before that.
It is noteworthy that Berry did not Take the number 10 he wore with the Anaheim Ducks, the Stars, and the Lightning. Instead, he went with the #94 he wore with the Montreal Canadiens. By now, we all know that Patrick Sharp wore number 10 for the Blackhawks for 11 seasons and, of course, won three Stanley Cups with the team.
Fans are already wary of Berry from the huge rivalry between the Ducks and Blackhawks in the 2015 Western Conference Final. But it looks like the veteran is smart enough not to rub salt in the wound by taking on former sweetheart Sharpe’s number. Select one positive sign for Berry!
Kurachev headed to arbitration
In my latest news, Philip Kurashev was the only Blackhawks free agent to have his qualifying offer extended, then submitted to arbitration on June 5th. But the Blackhawks said they were expecting it, and they are I totally hope you get a deal before resorting to arbitration.
Kuraev’s qualifying offer was $787,500 after his one-year contract with a cap of $750,000 last season. The Swiss forward has been with the Blackhawks for three seasons now, and many thought his speedy campaign would be last year. But he had another mediocre season scoring nine goals and 25 points in 70 games, despite getting plenty of opportunities to play in the top six. These numbers certainly aren’t shocking, but it looks like the 23-year-old hasn’t taken the next step to becoming a consistent playmaker.
Based on that, I would expect the Blackhawks to try to keep Kurachev on a short-term deal for a year or two. I don’t expect him to sign more than $1-2 million, depending on how long. Heck, maybe he can finally get out next season.
Related: Philip Kurashev enters pivotal season with Blackhawks
This will do it for the news and rumors of the day. Now we wait for the rest of the summer to end, and training camp in the fall. We’ll keep you posted as any more news comes out, and of course we’ll have some analytical insights and thoughts on the upcoming season. It will be here before we know it!