Eight Programs that are Feeding the Blackhawks Prospect Pipeline ...Middle East

As hockey seasons get under way all over North America, we’re able to focus on the Chicago Blackhawks beginning their preseason schedule. The transition of the Blackhawks roster to a younger, faster team is exciting — and it’s the start of the rebuild bearing fruit at the professional levels.

Since taking over as general manager, Kyle Davidson has stockpiled draft picks to accelerate the building process. If you’ve paid attention to the picks he’s made, and the young players he has signed from previous draft classes, where are some trends developing. There are certainly teams that have had the eyes of the Blackhawks’ front office on them in recent years.

Here are eight programs at the USHL, CHL and NCAA ranks that have been prevalent in the draft classes and signings and are now impacting the Blackhawks’ pipeline.

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Boston University (Hockey East — NCAA)

The Blackhawks have three players under NHL contract right now who played college hockey at Boston University: Alex Vlasic, Drew Commesso and Ryan Greene. A fourth, Sacha Boisvert, will play his sophomore season at BU after earning NCHC Rookie of the Year honors at North Dakota last year.

Also remember Jack Pridham was originally committed to BU before opting to stay with Kitchener in the OHL.

David Pickering / OHL

Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)

There’s no greater example of the Blackhawks liking a program more than Brantford right now. Chicago went to watch one prospect and drafted another… and then watched two the following season and drafted another.

The Blackhawks have now drafted players from Brantford (formerly Hamilton) three years in a row: Nick Lardis, Marek Vanacker and Parker Holmes. Lardis and Vanacker have already signed entry-level contracts; Lardis will turn pro this year.

Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)

The Blackhawks went back to Seattle with their sixth-round pick this summer and selected defenseman Ashton Cumby. But there was a time when a lot of our prospect attention was focused on the Thunderbirds.

At the end of the 2022-23 season — after a couple trades — the Blackhawks had Kevin Korchinski, Colton Dach and Nolan Allan all skating in Seattle. Dach and Allan were captains of their respective WHL teams before joining Korchinski in Seattle. And they were all teammates on Canada’s gold medal-winning World Junior Championship team (with Connor Bedard).

Providence College (Hockey East — NCAA)

Defenseman Taige Harding is the first Blackhawks prospect to sign a pro contract out of Providence, but he’s not the only player Chicago has sent there. Connor Kelley, originally a seventh-round pick in 2021 who started his college career with two seasons at Minnesota-Duluth, skated with Harding on the blue line last year.

The Blackhawks have drafted players in the middle rounds each of the last two years who will play for Providence this coming seasons: forwards John Mustard and Julius Sumpf.

Courtesy U. of Minnesota Athletics — Brad Rempel

Minnesota (Big Ten — NCAA)

Two young players who will look to establish themselves as full-time NHL players in the coming months were teammates for the Gophers last year. Sam Rinzel spent one additional season in the USHL before making the move to Minnesota. He was joined his freshman year by true freshman Oliver Moore. They turned pro together at the end of last season.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Michigan State (Big Ten — NCAA)

The Blackhawks used the second overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft on Artyom Levshunov after a strong rookie season with the Spartans. Mason West, a first-round pick in 2025, will matriculate to MSU after one more season in the USHL (with Fargo).

There’s one more reason the Blackhawks will have a unique perspective on Michigan State’s program: the Spartans’ head coach, Adam Nightingale, is the brother of Rockford IceHogs head coach Jared.

Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC — NCAA)

At the moment, the only former Bulldogs skater on the Blackhawks’ payroll is defenseman Wyatt Kaiser. Goaltender Adam Gajan is returning to UMD for a sophomore season between the pipes. And last year the Blackhawks had Dominic James — UMD’s captain — on campus. He opted to not sign with the Blackhawks and recently signed a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)

The Blackhawks have used a first-round pick on a player coming out of Muskegon two years in a row: Boisvert and Václav Nestrašil. Nestrašil is taking his talents to UMass in Hockey East this coming season, where he’ll face Boisvert (BU) and the two guys at Providence in some tough conference games.

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