Blackhawks Prospect Showcase updates, Calder candidates, training camp notes & more

There is finally hockey to watch this week, as the Chicago Blackhawks started practices on Friday  for their Prospect Showcase. Two more practices will take place at the Blackhawks Ice Center on Saturday and Sunday, and then the prospects will host the St. Louis Blues prospects for games on Monday and Tuesday.

It’s an exciting time in the hockey world, as the rest of the roster is back in town and participating in unofficial skates. Training camp should be fun this year with some new faces and a more well-rounded team. On that note, let’s get to the latest coverage from our crew here at Blackhawk Up.  

The latest content from Blackhawk Up

• Ryan McGregor points out that defenseman Sam Rinzel will need to make the most out of his ice time now that some new blueliners are in the fold.  

• On a similar subject, Nestor Quixtan discusses how the makeup of the blue line could pose a challenge for head coach Jeff Blashill when he’s putting together the defensive pairings.

• Moving on to some Calder Trophy talk, awarded annually to the league’s top rookie. NHL Network released a list of the 26 best prospects who are Calder-eligible. Blackhawks Anton Frondell was listed at No. 3 and Roman Kantserov at No. 23. Nestor outlines how that’s major validation for the Hawk’s prospect pool.

• Furthermore, The Athletic recently included Frondell and Kantserov as Calder candidates as well. Ryan Gagne highlights what both players bring to the table for a chance to win this trophy.

• Since we’re on the subject of Frondell, Maya Smith wrote a piece on why he’s primed to be a future star.  

• Blackhawk’s fans are super excited, because franchise cornerstone Connor Bedard has been seen practicing on the ice. It looks like he’s on track (if not ahead of schedule) for a return following offseason shoulder surgery. Jeff Maroon has some thoughts on what the forward lines could look like with Bedard included.  

• Moving on to training camp, Justin Lynch focuses on Blackhawks who will be most interesting to watch in camp.

Prospect Showcase notes

As already mentioned, prospect showcase practices started on Friday. Headed into the weekend, Brooke LoFurno gave us some thoughts on things to watch for.

Brooke also gave us a rundown of how the first day of practice went. It looks like the boys are having fun and happy to be back to work!

Brooke and myself will be representing at Blackhawks Ice Center throughout the rest of the showcase, so stay tuned for more!

The countdown hits 17!

For those of you just tuning in to our coverage, we’ve been doing a countdown to opening night, highlighting the player who wears the corresponding number. Today marks Nick Foligno days until Blackhawks opening night!

Foligno suited up with the Blackhawks for three seasons and served as their captain for two of them. The upbeat veteran helped pave the way for a new leadership group in Chicago, comprised of the younger up-and-coming stars. This leadership group will likely feature Bedard as the new captain, although this is not yet official. Hopefully we'll know more real soon!

Keep it here for all the latest news, notes, analysis and updates as the Blackhawks get set to embark on what should be a fun and exciting 2026-27 campaign!  

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