We are officially nearing the end of the Chicago Blackhawks 2023-24 season. We’ve known since October that a postseason berth was out of the question, but the completion of another campaign is bittersweet nonetheless. Even as golf courses and summer trips await, there’s still no shortage of news and rumors surrounding the Blackhawks in the last few weeks of the season. Let’s get to the latest.
Slaggert Scores 1st NHL Goal
For all of you that tuned in to watch the Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues play on Wednesday night (Apr. 10), you probably wish you had those couple of hours back. The Blackhawks were down 3-0 before the contest was even five minutes old. Goaltender Petr Mrazek was pulled (it was by no means all his fault) and Arvid Soderblom took the crease. On the Blues fourth shot on goal, they scored their fourth goal to make it 4-0. Yeah, it wasn’t pretty.
But there was a bright spot! Blackhawks’ prospect Landon Slaggert scored his first NHL goal in the third period.
There it is: Landon Slaggert scores his first career NHL goal. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/wIKFPGbHss
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) April 11, 2024
Slaggert signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Blackhawks on Mar. 10, one day after his collegiate career ended at Notre Dame. Since then, the 21-year-old has played in 12 games for the Blackhawks, mostly on the fourth line with Ryan Donato and MacKenzie Entwistle. He’s fit in quite well, contributing to the line’s identity of being tenacious and hard to play against.
Related – Blackhawks Can Close Out the Season by Making Simple Strides
The South Bend, Indiana native had a big night on Mar. 27 against the Calgary Flames. He provided two secondary assists, both for goals by Jason Dickinson in the 3-1 win. Slaggert’s had numerous scoring chances, including hitting a few goal posts in his time so far with the club. But it took until that 12th game to finally tally his first goal. He was obviously happy about it after the game.
“I wish it came in a little different fashion in more of an important game, but…happy to get the first one out the way.”
I have a feeling Slaggert’s going to have plenty of opportunities to score goals in more important games with the Blackhawks. Welcome to the show, Slaggert!
Blackhawks & WGN Radio Extend Their Contract
In the middle of the first period of the aforementioned Blues game (a convenient distraction to the horrible state of the team on the ice) the Blackhawks announced they extended their contract with WGN Radio for three more years. WGN will continue to exclusively air Blackhawks games. This means that the iconic duo of play-by-play announcer John Wiedeman and color analyst Troy Murray will still be together on the air waves. They’ve been broadcast partners since the 2006-07 season. (from ‘Blackhawks extend contracts with WGN Radio, John Wiedeman, Troy Murray while ruling out simulcast’, The AthleticCHI – 4/10/24)
Blackhawks’ President of business operations Jaime Faulkner explored the option of changing their radio broadcasts into simulcasts (which is broadcasting the TV audio feed on the radio). Many other teams do this as a cost-saving measure. But she determined the unique flavor Wiedeman and Murray on the air was extremely significant to the fans.
Three cheers for three more years on @wgnradio! 🥳https://t.co/VNKRbXFGfc
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 11, 2024
While the radio market might be subsiding in other areas, in Chicago it’s still going strong when it comes to Blackhawks coverage. Faulkner indicated that “fans near (who left the game early) and far (people from all over the world who access the game audio through the web or app) regularly listen to WGN Radio’s broadcast”.
Anyone who’s ever listened to Wiedeman and Murray know immediately what a treat it is. They’ve both filled in on TV broadcasts as well. The two really are experts in their field, along with being extremely entertaining when they call hockey games. You can literally picture the action through their words.
This is great news for Blackhawks’ fans, and a positive for the organization.
Del Mastro Called up From Rockford
On Friday (Apr. 11) the Blackhawks called up defenseman Ethan Del Mastro from the Rockford IceHogs. It was a bit of a surprise to all, since the IceHogs are still jockeying for playoff position in their division. But they’ve already clinched a playoff spot, and the organization wanted to reward the 21-year-old for an incredible rookie season.
Del Mastro has recorded seven goals and 37 points in 66 games with the IceHogs, and he was also named an AHL All-Star earlier in the season. Head coach Luke Richardson put it best when explaining the call-up.
Just a solid year down there and give him a bit of a cookie as an appreciation for the work that he did. Give him a chance to see and evaluate where he is at this level and when he’s playing at his best hockey. He seemed excited to be here today and we’re excited to see what he can do.
The young blueliner is expected to play against the Nashville Predators on Friday (Apr. 12). It sounds like he’ll get a few games in before going back to Rockford to ramp up for the playoffs.
Other Blackhawks Notes
Connor Murphy is also expected to suit up Friday night versus the Predators. The 31-year-old defenseman has been out of the lineup since Jan. 13, dealing with a osteitis pubic injury (inflammation of the groin area).
"Feel good. Ready to go. It's been too long.”
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) April 11, 2024
—Connor Murphy, who has missed nearly three months with a groin strain, on returning for Friday’s game against the Nashville Predators pic.twitter.com/16ZgDEebmr
Nick Foligno, who missed Wednesday’s game against the Blues due to a personal matter, is also expected back in the lineup for the Predators game. He skated on the top line alongside Connor Bedard and Philipp Kurashev in practice on Thursday.
The IceHogs added Blackhawks’ prospects Paul Ludwinski and Nick Lardis to their roster on Wednesday (Apr. 11), each after finishing up their junior seasons. It’s unclear whether these two forwards will participate in the playoffs, or simply be with the team to get a feel for the postseason environment.
We’re hearing about some Blackhawks who will be participating in the upcoming World Championships in May. Bedard will be representing Team Canada, and Seth Jones and Alex Vlasic will represent Team USA. This should make for a fun tournament.
Related – Blackhawks Bytes: Korchinski, Vlasic, Murphy, Bedard
That’s all the today’s news and rumors. The last few games of the season should be fun to watch, with some returning players and a few new players trying to make an impact. Then there will be the IceHogs to follow in the AHL playoffs, as well as the World Championships with Blackhawks represented. Never a dull moment in the hockey world!