Latest news with #Korchinski
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blackhawks May Want To Avoid Trading Kevin Korchinski This Summer
The Chicago Blackhawks have a lot of great young defensemen in the organization. Some of them have higher ceilings than others, but the depth is there at the position. Lots of draft capital has been used on the blue line in recent years. One player that has a lot of mixed reviews is Kevin Korchinski. He was the 7th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft with the profile of being an offensive defenseman. Advertisement Since turning pro, he has shown flashes of brilliance in the offensive zone, although his defending needs work. It usually does with young defensemen, but his offense hasn't outweighed his deficiencies yet. Korchinski spent his first full pro season (2023-24) in the NHL but has spent much of 2024-25 in the AHL outside of a handful of games. When he's down with the Rockford IceHogs, you can see the tools that made him a top-ten draft pick. On Wednesday, Korchinski played a big role in the team taking a 1-0 series lead over the Chicago Wolves in their first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. In addition to being a part of a handful of offensive chances, he scored the goal that tied the game up for Rockford. Eventually, they won in overtime. Korchinski's goal was a bit of a lucky bounce as he threw one off the backboard, and it went in off of Wolves goaltender Spencer Martin. Sometimes, gifted players make their own luck by playing the right way. Advertisement "A goal is a goal, right?" IceHogs interim head coach Mark Eaton said after the game. "Get pucks to the net at playoff time, it's never a bad recipe. And then his overall game was fantastic, skated well, blocked a big shot in the third, used his skating well, transitioned pucks, everything that makes him a special player." Korchinski needs to be free while playing his game. He can change the outcome using his skills, but the right pieces need to be around him. With some of the players coming up in the organization at the same time as him, Chicago may be a good place for his future. The Blackhawks may want to be careful when it comes to trading a player like this. With the surplus of skilled defensemen that they have, it's easy to bring his name up in trade talks as the organization tries to get better in other areas. There is something to be said about a guy who loves playing in the organization, gets along with everyone, and is supremely talented. Advertisement "Me and [Del Mastro], [Allan], all the guys, we go back," Korchinski said after the win over the Wolves when asked about playing with other good young defensemen in the organization. "World Juniors, Thunderbirds, just being able to play with them again, it's really cool. We know each other's games, compliment them, and we all want to keep playing with each other. It helps in the playoffs when you've got guys who want to stick around and keep playing with each other". Korchinski isn't alone in this journey through pro hockey as a young guy. He named guys like Ethan Del Mastro and Nolan Allan as he played with them before turning pro, but there are more there. For one, you have Artyom Levshunov, who scored the overtime winner to defeat the Wolves that night. You've also got guys like Sam Rinzel, Alex Vlasic, Wyatt Kaiser, and Louis Crevier, amongst others, ready to make a long-term impact. Again, they won't all be able to be full-time contributors, but Korchinski has what he needs to be an impact player. With the right amount of development before too much is put on his shoulders, he could be better than great. Advertisement Both he and the organization need to remember that he's just 20 years old. It is way too early to tell if he's one of the guys worth letting go of. His attitude and skills should be very attractive to the executives in charge. Korchinski and the IceHogs will play game two against the Wolves on Friday night in Rockford. If they win, they advance to the next round to face the Milwaukee Admirals. Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
New York Times
11-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Why the Blackhawks wear their numbers: 2024-25 end-of-season edition
There's been a lot of change to the Chicago Blackhawks roster since our season-opening story on why their players wear their numbers. Of the 20 players who were in the Blackhawks lineup on Thursday, 10 didn't start the season with Chicago. Some were in AHL Rockford. Some were on other NHL teams. Some were in college. With so much change, it seemed worthwhile to provide an updated version of why everyone wears their number, in their own words. Connor Murphy, 5: There's a couple (of reasons). Nick Lidstrom was always my favorite player. And then my dad (Gord Murphy) wore No. 5. He played 14 years in the NHL and always wore it, so I followed that. Last Blackhawks player to wear 5: David Rundblad. Sam Rinzel, 6: I just came in and they had it. My second year of juniors I had it. No reason behind it. I like 6. I like a single digit. I'm not really a double-digit guy. Especially a defenseman, I like that it just looks clean and good. Obviously, 2 is unavailable. I like 4. Being part of this team, there's so much rich history. You got to respect the culture that guys past that have brought the numbers to what it is. You just got to create your own. Last Blackhawks player to wear 6: Jake McCabe. Advertisement Ryan Donato, 8: I was 9. Joshua 1:9 is my favorite Bible verse. There weren't many options when I came here. They were low, and I'm not really a high-number guy, so I picked 8. I'm fine with it. Last Blackhawks player to wear 8: Jack Johnson. Oliver Moore, 11: Watching Casey Mittelstadt growing up, he was always No. 11 for Eden Prairie. I watched him play my cousins and I just thought he was a good player, cool number. Zach Parise, too. Other than that, I feel like the number's kind of followed me around everywhere I've been. It's been available everywhere I've been. I've just kind of worn it. It's been nice. Last Blackhawks player to wear 11: Taylor Raddysh. Kevin Korchinski, 14: Parchy (Blackhawks equipment manager Troy Parchman) texted me and said, 'Do you want 14?' Because I always had that number. I was like, of course. I liked 55, but I never wore it before. As a young guy, you're just given a number. I'm happy that I'm 14 now. It just feels pretty cool since I grew up wearing it. It's nice. Arty (Artyom Levshunov) got 55. It's funny, whenever I see gear that says 55, I sometimes forget it's not mine anymore. I feel bad, I know last year, some people asked, hey, are you going to stick with 55? I was like, I don't know. It's not my decision. I feel bad for those people who maybe got a 55 Korchinski jersey. They can rip off Korchinski and put Levshunov now. Last Blackhawks player to wear 14: Boris Katchouk. Jason Dickinson, 16: I was happy giving (No. 17 to Nick Foligno). I want him to wear something he's comfortable with, something that meant something to him. It was a no-brainer for him; 17 meant nothing to me personally, so it was just a number. If he has a connection to it, I'm happy to oblige. Me and Fliggy kind of look the same, similar build, we've got the similar helmet. He's got the Bauer version, I've got the CCM version. We've both got the beard. Sometimes I see myself on clips, I'm like, 'Oh, I'm not 17 this year.' Last Blackhawks player to wear 16: Jujhar Khaira. Advertisement Nick Foligno, 17: My dad (Mike Foligno) wore it. I was always wearing 16, actually, growing up — my mom's favorite number. I was a mama's boy. But then 71 was given to me in Ottawa, obviously with his time with the Leafs, and the trainers were laughing, and I was just happy to have a number, so I kept it. It's kind of nice to be able to pay tribute to him, obviously wearing it, my brother and I both. … Seventy-one was a lot easier (to get). I didn't wear 17 until I went to Boston, and Taylor Hall didn't clue in that I wore 71 until halfway through the year. Kind of ticked me off. I'm not too superstitious. It's cool I get to get that number. I appreciate Dickey (Dickinson) making the move to 16. It's special to be able to wear it. I think it's more for my family, my kids. They recognize the number, so it's special in the household. Last Blackhawks player to wear 17: Jason Dickinson. Philipp Kurashev, 23: When I was young, I always wanted No. 13. Then, the first chance we got, I was 9, 10 years old, maybe even younger, we got to choose our number. And I told my friend because he wanted 13, like, I want 13. I even bought him some candies or something. He said he's not going to take it. He got to choose first, and he took 13. So I was one of the young guys, and there were like three numbers left, and 23 was one of them. I just chose it. Since then, I try to take it every time I have a chance to. Last Blackhawks player to wear 23: Brandon Manning. Alec Martinez, 25: Twenty-seven and 23 weren't available. I've worn 23, 27. Twenty-five was available. It's somewhere in between. Hopefully the birth year of my first child. Beyond that, I don't really put much thought into all that. Last Blackhawks player to wear 25: Jarred Tinordi. Spencer Knight, 30: I grew up in southern Connecticut, grew up a Rangers fan. Obviously, (Henrik) Lundqvist was the guy when I was growing up. I think he was the guy I really looked up to. I would always go to Rangers games and, you know, watching him, it's where I took after. That's basically why I wear 30, because of Lundqvist. Last Blackhawks player to wear 30: Jaxson Stauber. Ethan Del Mastro, 38: That was just given to me at camp. I had two different numbers for that. They switched me and then switched me again and then gave me 38, and now it's what I've been using. I actually don't mind it at all. I'm probably just going to stick with it for now unless something changes. Last Blackhawks player to wear 38: Brandon Hagel. Advertisement Arvid Söderblom, 40: They just gave me 40, and I was like, that's kind of a cool goalie number. I kind of like it and keep wearing it ever since. There's no meaning at all to it. Last Blackhawks player to wear 40: Robin Lehner. Wyatt Kaiser, 44: I came here, they gave me 44 and I like it, so I'm staying with it. I've been 5 growing up, but I like wearing 44. Last Blackhawks player to wear 44: Calvin de Haan. Louis Crevier, 46: It was a training camp number assigned. Didn't pick it. Last Blackhawks player to wear 46: Lucas Carlsson. Artyom Levshunov, 55: I had options and just picked 55 because I had 5 on the back last season. The option to pick 55 was available. I think it works for me. Why not? It works for me. Last Blackhawks player to wear 55: Kevin Korchinski. Tyler Bertuzzi, 59: Just training camp (as a rookie), nothing special. I've been 59 the whole time. I just didn't want to change it and stuck with it. Last Blackhawks player to wear 59: Rob Klinkhammer. Alex Vlasic, 72: I was at development camp, and I went into the equipment room, and one of the guys just said, 'I got some bad news, (Colin) Blackwell wants your number.' I was like, all right. And then I had a couple weeks to kind of figure it out and look at some of the options. … I was looking at the options, 72 looked pretty good. It was my first-ever number, as well, so a little connection to that. But nothing that drew me to it, except that I like the number. Last Blackhawks player to wear 72: Artemi Panarin. Lukas Reichel, 73: (The Blackhawks) texted me in the summer, and they're like, it'd be good if you changed your number, and I said, yeah, no problem. I'm 22 (years old), so I didn't really know (Jeremy Roenick), but I knew he was a great player. That's why he's in the Hall of Fame now. You got to respect that. For me, 27 wasn't really my number. I'm not superstitious with numbers. I think 73 looks cool. I actually feel bad for Luyps (Jalen Luypen) that he didn't have a choice to choose a number, but he has 43 now. I said, sorry, man. Seventy-three, I had with the national team. My dad was born in 1973, so that's why I had it in the national team. That's why I have it here. Last Blackhawks player to wear 73: Brandon Pirri. Advertisement Patrick Maroon, 77: My favorite number is seven. Fourteen was taken. I just try to do anything with sevens. I wore No. 77 in London (Ontario in juniors). I think it's just my favorite number, seven, and I try to get a number that adds up to seven. No (reason why I love seven), I just always chose it. I thought it was a cool number. Last Blackhawks player to wear 77: Kirby Dach. T.J. Brodie, 78: I was No. 7 for a long time in Calgary. Going to Toronto, obviously, it's retired there, same with here. I had to pick a new one. I didn't really care that much. So I picked 78 because I couldn't think of many guys who had worn it. It's also kind of a couple of special birth dates, but that's pretty much it. I've never really been superstitious or stuck with one number. Last Blackhawks player to wear 78: None. Landon Slaggert, 84: Just the number that was in my stall when I got here. Nothing specific. When I grew up, I was No. 19, so that one was taken here. I've actually really liked it. It's grown on me for sure. Eighty-four is not a bad number at all. Last Blackhawks player to wear 84: Alexandre Fortin. Teuvo Teräväinen, 86: Whenever I got the chance in Finland to pick my number, I was trying to pick something and just ended up picking 86. Nobody really had that too much, I felt like, so I just ended up with that one. It's been sticking ever since. Last Blackhawks player to wear 86: Mike Hardman. Joe Veleno, 90: I was always a big No. 9 growing up. So everywhere I've been, I was either 9, 19 or 91. I was No. 9 in St. John (Sea Dogs in juniors) my first two years and got traded to Drummondville. I had a good buddy of mine who was wearing No. 9 and he was the captain also, so I didn't really want to interfere with that. I came up with the No. 90, and it's kind of stuck with me ever since. Last Blackhawks player to wear 90: Tyler Johnson. Frank Nazar, 91: Obviously grew up in Detroit, was a big Sergei Fedorov fan, obviously a ton of speed with him, a lot of skill, I thought he was a great player. Then a few of my buddies wear 91. Just really like the number. Going from NTDP (U.S. National Team Development Program) to college, kind of watch to switch it up, do something different, like the number a lot and it was open so just went with it. Last Blackhawks player to wear 91: Anthony Beauvillier Ilya Mikheyev, 95: Just in Chicago, 65, it's (important) and I respect everything. When they asked me if I could change, it was no problem for me. We just turned six up on its side and it's nine. Last Blackhawks player to wear 95: Dylan Sikura. Connor Bedard, 98: I just picked it when I was like 6 years old, liked it, and no one had it at the time in the NHL, so I thought that was kind of cool. Yeah, I think when I was young, drew the higher number, and it stuck with me. Last Blackhawks player to wear 98: None.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
3 Blackhawks Prospects To Trade For Connor Bedard Help
The Chicago Blackhawks are sellers at this year's NHL Trade Deadline. Seth Jones and Taylor Hall have each been sent packing already. More veterans are sure to be following them before Friday. The Blackhawks are concerned with the future which should be the case. That doesn't mean that they can only trade veterans for draft picks and prospects. Developing Connor Bedard is part of it all too. Getting the 2023 first-overall pick some more help is necessary for Kyle Davidson and his staff. That will likely come this summer but they can try to add a piece or two for Bedard at the deadline too. There are prospects available in the system that the Hawks could part with to get Bedard a good linemate. These are three that are most likely to go if they were to make a move like that: 1. Kevin Korchinski The Chicago Blackhawks selected Kevin Korchinski with the 7th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. He has had his share of games at the NHL level but has spent most of 2024-25 crafting his skills with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. Korchinski has had some really good moments at both North American pro hockey levels, but the Hawks may be wise to consider moving him. Korchinski is a wildly talented offensive player but his defending is the project. He could reach his potential on both sides of the puck one day but the Hawks have tons of great defenseman in the system and they can't all be NHL regulars in Chicago. Guys like Louis Crevier, Alex Vlasic, Ethan Del Mastro, Nolan Allan, Sam Rinzel, and Artyom Levshunov are all going to have a chance at making an impact at the highest level. They also won't ever be short of veteran guys to help them. There just isn't enough room for everyone. If Korchinski is one of the headliners in a package that gets Bedard some help on his line, it's a no-brainer. 2. Drew Commesso The Chicago Blackhawks acquired Spencer Knight in the Seth Jones trade and he was brilliant right away. His 41 saves on 42 shots left a great first impression on Chicago. Arvid Soderblom has also played very well for Chicago this season when it was expected that he'd spend the entire year in the AHL. Petr Mrazek and Laurent Brossoit came into the year as the tandem but Brossoit hasn't played yet this season which opened the door for Soderblom. Mrazek has made a bulk of the starts and has played okay. With Rockford, Drew Commesso has played okay and he's been up in the NHL at times as well. It's starting to look like he may be better off playing for another organization. It's getting crowded in Chicago's crease. If Knight becomes the goalie of the future, and it seems like he may be that guy, Commesso would be the backup at best and even that's not guaranteed. He is very talented though and deserves the chance to be a starter somewhere. Including him in a deal that gets Connor Bedard a wonder to play with is something that could happen. A move like that would benefit both sides. 3. Oliver Moore If the Chicago Blackhawks want to include another one of their former first round picks, Oliver Moore may be someone to consider. He is having a great year at the University of Minnesota who is a contender to win the NCAA title this year. Moore attacks and defends well at the college level because of his speed. He is as fast as any player in Chicago's system. Moore hasn't developed into an offensive star up to this point. The Blackhawks were probably looking to see more out of him, but the speed is nothing to disregard. That quickness should help him have big NHL years. With that said, it may be a while before Moore is truly ready for the NHL. Moving him for Bedard help is a good idea if he can lead a package that lands Chicago someone who can help them. Moore may need other things to go with him in a package for a good winger who can make an impact in the present. He is a good starting point if you're looking to make a big-time trade that lands long-term help. Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
