Today is the final day of May, Blackhawks fans. That means tomorrow it’s June — the month in which the 2024 NHL Draft takes place. And that’s exciting because the Blackhawks own four of the top 50 overall selections, beginning with No. 2 overall. There’s going to be a lot of talk in the coming weeks about what the Blackhawks will do at two, if they keep 18, and what they’re going to do as we sprint toward free agency opening on July 1. So buckle up, folks.
This is one of the most impressive ways the NHL is starting to use their tracking technology to engage with fans. During the Stars’ game in Edmonton, they hosted a watch party at their arena in Dallas. The game was playing on the video board, but the AI tracking was displaying the action on the ice. This is awesome!
Where’s Axl Rose when we want to talk about patience? Alexis Lafrenière was the No. 1 overall pick in 2020 and came in with a lot of expectations, especially in New York. But it wasn’t a quick hit like we saw with Connor Bedard this season. Indeed, plenty of Rangers fans were ready to trade Lafrenière in recent years. But here we are after his fourth NHL season — in which he scored a career-high 28 goals — and he’s becoming a playoff hero for the Rangers (seven goals in 14 games will do that). This piece from The Athletic is a good reminder that not every prospect develops at the same pace.
Last night, the NHL announced Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. For the record, I did have him in the top three on my PHWA ballot for the award. Congrats to the Chicago Steel product who once lived with Jamie Faulkner before heading to Colorado College.
Earlier this week, Pierre LeBrun looked into what happens this summer for the NHL’s… “new” franchise in Utah. They have a new owner, which means they have a new bank account to spend from. And they’re going to try to make some noise early. Being that they’re in the Blackhawks’ division and are a team that, like the Hawks, hope to make a step forward in the standings in the coming year around a young core with a truckload of cap space, this is a good read.
Who doesn’t love crossover content? How about a little baseball-hockey action? White Sox legend Jake Burger apparently played a little hockey back in the day — and he was on the same peewee team as Matthew Tkachuk!
And now a reminder that, no matter the sport you’re playing, you NEVER wear Vancouver Canucks anything when facing elimination.
The Los Angeles Kings continued to fill out their coaching staff on Thursday. Newell Brown will run their forwards and power play units.
Finally, the unthinkable has happened. No, not Brad Marchand getting Lady Byng votes. The Chicago Bears will be the focus of this year’s edition of Hard Knocks! I can’t wait to get an inside look at the new-look Bears as they get ready for an exciting season. Let’s Go!