NEWSLETTER
I think Blackhawks fans could use a little good news right now, and we got some on Wednesday afternoon. Defenseman Ethan Del Mastro has been named an AHL All-Star on behalf of the Rockford IceHogs!
Del Mastro, who will turn 21 on Jan. 15, is skating in his first professional season. He has 17 points (4 goals, 13 assists) in 31 professional. Oh, and he’s a big kid (6-4, 205) and likes to hit (smile grows).
Originally a fourth-round pick (No. 105 overall) by the Blackhawks in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Del Mastro had an impressive resume before signing. He served as the captain of the Mississauga Steelheads (OHL) before he was traded to Sarnia last season and was an assistant captain for Canada at the 2023 World Junior Championship.
He also won back-to-back gold medals with Team Canada at the 2022 and 2023 IIHF U20 World Junior Championships as well as winning gold at the 2021 IIHF U18 World Junior Championship. He is one of five members of Canada’s 2023 World Juniors team currently in the Blackhawks’ system, with fellow IceHogs Colton Dach and Nolan Allan and Blackhawks Connor Bedard and Kevin Korchinski.
According to the IceHogs’ release, Del Mastro is the first IceHogs defenseman selected as an All-Star since Andrew Campbell in 2019. And, at 20 years, 11 months, and 27 days old, he is also the youngest IceHog to be announced as an All-Star since Adam Clendening in 2013 (20 years, two months, and 23 days at time of announcement).
