After a very active summer, the Blackhawks prepare to face the Preseason ahead. Their annual Prospects Tournament, Training Camp, and six games are on tap. Many changes have been made since getting swept by the Nashville Predators. However, the opening night roster is far from decided.
Chicago Blackhawks Preseason Info 2017-18
Prospect Tournament 2017
The annual Prospects Tournament was held in Traverse City, Michigan from September 8th – 12th The tournament featured teams from the Chicago Blackhawks, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues. The Blackhawks first game of the tournament was September 8th against the New York Rangers. The Hawks lost to the Rangers in a close one, 3-2. They next played the Detroit Red Wings on the 9th, and managed a come from behind win of 4-3. The game winner scored by Alex DeBrincat. The last regular game of the tourney was against the Carolina Hurricanes on September 11th. The Hawks prospects hammered the Hurricanes team 9-2. They were paced by a 5 point night by defenseman Luc Snuggerud.
The young Hawks were then seeded in the Tournament Championship game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on the September 12th. The Hawks prospects won the tourney championship in overtime 3-2. DeBrincat scored two goals including the game winner in overtime. His tourney play will only add fuel to the fire as he heads to training camp. The Blackhawks want to take their time with him, but his play may force an earlier arrival than planned.
More info on the Prospects Tournament schedule
Training Camp
The Blackhawks 2017 Training Camp opens September 15th. Practices kick off at the United Center, followed by their annual Training Camp Festival the next day. In addition, part of this year’s training camp will again be held at Notre Dame University. Those dates are September 24th through the 28th. This year all eyes will be on the Hawks Alex DeBrincat as he looks to push for a roster spot. It’s a long shot to be sure, but after being named the Ontario Hockey League Most Outstanding Player he has Hawks fans anxious to see his dynamic play. There are several other players looking to make an impression in training camp. David Kampf, John Hayden, Laurent Dauphin, Vinnie Hinostroza, and Alexandre Fortin are all competing to crack the opening day roster.
During their training camp, the Hawks will have six preseason games with which to figure out their regular season roster. There will be a lot of new faces as well as some familiar ones like Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad who returned to Chicago during the off-season. Coach Quenneville will also have two new assistant coaches helping out with the coaching duties. Ulf Samuelsson and Don Granato will join Kevin Dineen as assistant coaches this season.
The preseason schedule includes six games:
Columbus Blue Jackets – 9/19 (away)
Detroit Red Wings – 9/21 (home)
Columbus Blue Jackets – 9/23 (home)
Boston Bruins – 9/25 (away)
Detroit Red Wings – 9/28 (away)
Boston Bruins – 9/30 (home)
2017 Blackhawks Season Opens 10/5/17
Over the next month, the Hawks will look to solidify a roster after a very busy off-season by General Manager Stan Bowman. They’ve traded some fan favorites, added several new faces, and brought back some familiar ones to rebuild a competitive team. In addition, there are several young players pushing for their shot in the NHL. Every one of them is looking to join the Blackhawks core in building a team that can make another deep run in the playoffs. Two straight years with first round playoff losses have many Hawk fans hoping their team can rebound quickly. Their opening game of the 2017-18 NHL season is October 5th against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. There is nothing like starting the season off with a bang. Will the Blackhawks be ready?
Check out LWOH’s in-depth 2017 Chicago Blackhawks Puck Drop Preview by Myles Stedman.
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