News Blackhawks Team Notes

[Chicago Blackhawks]

World Junior Showcase Invites, Kaiser vs. Rinzel, Gajan the Olympian? and Other Blackhawks Bullets

The 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase will be held July 25-Aug. 2 at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis and will feature practices and games between players from the United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden who hope to play for their respective countries in the 2026 World Junior Championship. On Wednesday, the rosters for the USA and Sweden were released, and two Blackhawks prospects will be there.

AJ Spellacy will participate for the United States. Anton Frondell will skate for Sweden.

James Hagens and Anton Frondell top the list of players for the U.S. and Sweden taking part in the World Junior Summer Showcase. Hagens is 1 of 9 players from the U.S. 2025 WJC winners taking part in the camp. https://t.co/JTILxHO1rq

— Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) July 9, 2025

• Scott Powers over at The Athletic shared some of what he’s hearing around the Blackhawks. One interesting note was on the pending negotiations between the Blackhawks and RFA defenseman Wyatt Kaiser.

Kaiser doesn’t have arbitration rights, meaning he doesn’t have a ton of leverage, but there is always the possibility of a holdout. It doesn’t sound like Kaiser is threatening that. It could make sense for Kaiser to bet on himself on a one-year deal and prove he’s the player he was late last season, positioning himself for a significant contract next summer. The Blackhawks are hopeful Kaiser is a top-four defenseman, but it probably doesn’t make sense just yet to pay him like one.

What I’m hearing about the Blackhawks this offseason https://t.co/a4MIDWjTor

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) July 9, 2025

• Speaking of Kaiser, he played against Sam Rinzel in Da Beauty League last night. Kaiser had three assists to help Team Anderson beat Team Element 9-6. Rinzel scored one goal in the loss.

Game 2: Anderson vs. Element pic.twitter.com/Lbsc0qJxS7

— Da Beauty League (@DaBeautyLeague) July 9, 2025

• The Blackhawks are expected to release their full, official preseason schedule today. But they might have sent it to season ticket members already… and four of the six games have already had dates, times and locations officially announced by the Hawks’ opponents.

Blackhawks (Quasi-Confirmed) Preseason Schedule Leaked, IceHogs Announce Home Opener #blackhawks www.bleachernation.com/blackhawks/2…

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— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@bn-blackhawks.bsky.social) July 9, 2025 at 1:48 PM

• Did you know Alex Vlasic has an absolute cannon of a shot?

• The folks at NHL.com have started projecting rosters for the 2026 Winter Olympics. They have Blackhawks prospect Adam Gajan as one of the goaltenders on the roster for Slovakia.

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• The Cubs lost in Minnesota again last night.

• Four players who might fit what the Bears still need and are available.

• Angel Reese had herself a day: video game cover and signature shoe

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...an-the-olympian-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

CBA Details, AHL at 19? Draft Rights, NCAA, CHL, IceHogs News, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

It’s quiet on the Blackhawks’ front right now, but there’s a lot going on in the hockey world as we start to get some more information — and reaction — to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (which is now available online) and some tweaks that impact drafted prospects.

The biggest news in hockey on the macro this summer (with all due respect to Mitch Marner going to Vegas) is Gavin McKenna opting to take his talents from the CHL to the NCAA ranks. This is a really good, thorough read on the systemic impact of McKenna’s commitment on the NCAA (and NIL), the CHL and more. So many layers and the ripple effect is going to be massive.

What Gavin McKenna's commitment means for the NCAA, CHL, Penn State, NIL and more https://t.co/WSe9kU1Vwi

— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) July 9, 2025

• With that in mind, some interesting information regarding tweaks to the rights of drafted players in the new CBA are starting to filter out. Teams will now own the rights of players until they are 22 across the board (four years if drafted at 18, three if drafted at 19, etc). According to PuckPedia, the changes will be effective beginning with the 2027 NHL Draft class.

• This could be a bigger deal. Beginning with the new CBA (so, again, after the coming season), teams will be able to assign one 19-year-old CHL player to the AHL. I wish that was possible for guys like Kevin Korchinski.

Sources say a new provision in the CBA will allow each #NHL team to place one 19-year-old CHL player in the #AHL per season.

One per organization per season and 18-year-olds are ineligible.

Begins in 2026-27 season.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 10, 2025

• An interesting couple tweets from Scott Wheeler about players and agents viewing the CHL vs. the AHL and how the NCAA factored into that. With the number of CHL players heading to college right now, this feels counter to the thinking of the current trends.

I've had multiple agents tell me this week that many of their guys would make the CHL-to-AHL choice (with the ELC signing bonus) over going to the NCAA. Lots of kids who don't want to go back to school.

One CHL GM pointed out that, depending on the CBA language, kids could…

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) July 10, 2025

• On Friday the IceHogs announced they have signed defenseman Andrew Perrott and forward Connor Mylymok to one-year AHL contracts.

• Business is good in Rockford! They announced on Friday morning that the IceHogs picked up a lot of hardware at the AHL Awards Gala recently. Congrats!

• On Thursday, there was a vote finalized on the future of the NHL draft. Reports indicated it was likely the front offices were going to opt to keep it de-centralized for another year. I wasn’t a fan at all of the way the first round played out (took forever, not ideal for viewing) but I get it. It’s incredibly hard to focus on free agency and trades in the fish bowl that is the draft floor — especially only a couple days before the flood gates open for free agency. Maybe we work on moving the draft back earlier a week or so and then everyone can get what they want?

Apparently there are reports about the future of the NHL draft

There is a vote right now, not yet completed.

But from what I'm canvassing — unless there is a wild swing in the few remaining to be submitted — the vote will be to stay with the de-centralized format.

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 10, 2025

• Former New York Rangers captain Dave Maloney will take over as the team’s in-game analyst on MSG Networks, replacing the retiring Joe Micheletti. Maloney had been the radio analyst for the Rangers for the last 20 years.

• Other news from MSG: Don LaGreca was named the new play-by-play announcer for MSG Networks’ Devils broadcasts this week.

• After more than two decades as the television voice of the St. Louis Blues, John Kelly is looking for a new gig.

• Finally, Oliver Moore is out here getting one last NIL check from his days as a Gopher. Nice job in this promo for the new CCM Tacks 920 bucket.

Introducing the new Tacks 920 helmet, in a sleek new look with enhanced venting and brand new technology to keep you protected and cool in all situations. Inspired by feedback from elite and professional players.

Available now in-store and online at https://t.co/koVbeDNR84 pic.twitter.com/hA5HaTnryU

— CCM Hockey (@CCMHockey) July 11, 2025

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• The 2025 MLB Draft is tomorrow! What are mock drafts saying about the Cubs’ first-round pick?

• Keeping an eye on Jaquan Brisker’s contract situation.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...hl-icehogs-news-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/