Morning Chirps: Moore heads to World Championships, Game 1 schedules set

The offseason is officially here for the Chicago Blackhawks. There are no National Hockey League games tonight, but the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin tomorrow. The best time of year is only a day away!

Blackhawks Chirps

• John Bloomer tells us that Kyle Davidson’s new contract extension is a sign that it’s time to start winning.

• Davidson was among those who spoke with the media on Thursday. He’ll have a lot of work to do this summer if he wants to have a roster that meets the players’ lofty expectations of making the playoffs next year.

• Davidson will only have one first-round draft pick this year. With the St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks winning their season finales, the Florida Panthers’ pick will stay in the top 10, so they will keep it this season. The Blackhawks will get their unprotected pick in 2027, giving them three first-round picks for next year’s draft. That is plenty of ammunition for a big offseason trade.

• We learned on Thursday that Oliver Moore will play for Team USA at next month's IIHF World Championship. It remains to be seen if his teammates Frank Nazar and Alex Vlasic will join him. Anton Frondell said he will take part in a camp for Sweden’s team. One has to think he has a very good shot at making the team.

• After the Brantford Bulldogs advanced to the Ontario Hockey League’s Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday, the Windsor Spitfires punched their ticket to the Western Conference Finals last night. A.J. Spellacy was held off the scoresheet in the 5-3 victory over the Flint Firebirds to complete the four-game sweep. The Soo Greyhounds beat Jack Pridham and the Soo Greyhounds to fend off elimination for at least one more night.

• Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, April 17: Alex MiKinnon, Kent Paynter, and Roger Johnansson.

NHL Chirps

• The New Jersey Devils hired Sunny Mehta as their new general manager, replacing the recently fired Tom Fitzgerald. He’s been the Panthers’ Assistant General Manager and Director of Analytics since 2023. A New Jersey native, Mehta’s first job in the NHL was as the Devils’ Director of Hockey Analytics from 2014 to 2018.

• After numerous reports made the rounds early on Thursday, the Columbus Blue Jackets officially announced a one-year contract extension for head coach Rick Bowness.

• Last night, the Mammoth became the first team in a full 82-game NHL season to not have a game decided in a shootout.

• The Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin this weekend, and the schedule for all eight Game 1s has been released:
  Saturday
  Ottawa Senators @ Carolina Hurricanes (2 pm CT, ESPN)
  Minnesota Wild @ Dallas Stars (4:30 pm CT, ESPN)
  Philadelphia Flyers @ Pittsburgh Penguins (7 pm CT, ESPN)
  Sunday (time/TV TBD)
  Los Angeles Kings @ Colorado Avalanche
  Montreal Canadiens @ Tampa Bay Lightning
  Boston Bruins @ Buffalo Sabres
  Utah Mammoth @ Vegas Golden Knights
  Monday (time/TV TBD)
  Anaheim Ducks @ Edmonton Oilers

• NHL Birthday Roll Call, April 17: Herbie Lewis, Gerry McNeil, Tommy Williams, Dennis Hextall, Borje Salming, Bob Gassoff, Jimmy Mann, Ken Daneyko, David Oliver, Eric Brewer, Chuck Kobasew, Brad Boyes, Pavel Buchnevich, and Michael Rasmussen.

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