After the morning skate yesterday I wrote about new Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight wanting to play last night, just a couple days after being traded from the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers to the… second-to-last in the NHL Chicago Blackhawks. And how he found a couple friends and former teammates waiting for him in Chicago in Alex Vlasic and Landon Slaggert. He arrived at the game with Slaggert, put on his gear and went to work behind a team that got him plenty of work in his debut. And… well… after last night, he’s got more than two friends in Chicago folks!
Holy ?!
It was a night to remember for Spencer Knight, who joined Jaxson Stauber (Jan. 21, 2023) as the second @NHLBlackhawks goaltender since 2019-20 to earn a win in their first game with the club.#NHLStats: t.co/AXyhucP1Ve pic.twitter.com/DLgYdCma6g
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 4, 2025Here’s what Knight said about playing in Chicago before the game:
“I was very surprised. But I think when you turn pro you realize that that’s always a possibility. … I’m lucky to come to a great organization.”—Goalie Spencer Knight on being traded to the Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/poPS5Z6XH2
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) March 3, 2025And here’s what Knight said on the ice after stopping 41 of 42 shots in his first game with the Blackhawks:
The fans in Chicago already love Spencer Knight ? pic.twitter.com/RxN89Tb8q9
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 4, 2025Knight legitimately loves the atmosphere in Chicago. He tried to not disrespect Florida after the game when talking about the United Center, but he lit up like a Christmas tree when asked about the anthem and the fans here. (Shoutout to Phil Thompson of the Chicago Tribune for sharing the video.)
“I’ve played here with the Panthers. It’s cool. It’s an away rink. But to play here, that’s pretty sick.”—Spencer Knight on playing at the United Center in his first start as a Blackhawks goalie pic.twitter.com/YxRBpwEu0u
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) March 4, 2025 Scott Powers and Jess Granger at The Athletic did a nice job of breaking down Knight’s performance last night with some clips of specific saves. Good stuff here.Spencer Knight was awesome in his Chicago debut.A few saves from tonight’s performance show why the Blackhawks are so optimistic about his future.With @ByScottPowers on @TheAthleticNHL ⤵️ t.co/D0YXQLyxRw
— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) March 4, 2025 After the game in the room when he spoke with the media, Knight echoed one of the things he said on the ice after his amazing performance. He’s here to win a championship. He said it doesn’t matter if it’s not this year or next year — it might be in three or five years. But he’s all in to win in Chicago. He’s here to build a winner. Which could get a resounding hell yes! from Blackhawks fans. I know there are fans and media all over the league — and here in Chicago — that are more than happy to crap on the Blackhawks any opportunity they get. Rebuilds aren’t for everyone. A scorched Earth rip it to the studs and start over rebuild on the heels of the greatest generation in the history of the franchise is a tough pill to swallow. It’s been a few hard years to watch. But it really, really looks like the Blackhawks got a foundation piece in a trade for a guy who was not popular here. So let’s give some flowers to Kyle Davidson and the Blackhawks’ front office for somehow getting Knight in a trade many thought wouldn’t happen. The Blackhawks have outscored their opponents 11-4 in the two games since Seth Jones was removed from the lock room. If you’ve been here since I joined Bleacher Nation (or before that) you’ll know that I’ve been a big fan of Ethan Del Mastro‘s game since the Blackhawks drafted him in 2021. Connor Murphy said he loves playing with Del Mastro after the game last night because he’s smart with the puck and physical. Interim head coach Anders Sorensen is showing more confidence and faith in Del Mastro since they punted Jones (and the loss in Vegas). He’s skated 19:56 and 19:18 in his last two games, respectively, and has not looked out of place whether he’s skating with Murphy or really any other defenseman on the roster. I think the Hawks have a good one here, and he’s confirming my confidence the more he plays. Hey, the trade deadline is now one day closer. And the Blackhawks beat a playoff team in Chicago last night. Teams that stopped in to watch the Kings and Hawks: Buffalo (two), Vancouver, Ottawa (play here tomorrow), the New York Islanders, Philadelphia and San Jose. Something to keep in mind: yesterday I wrote about the possibility that the Blackhawks could extend an offer sheet to a restricted free agent this coming summer. That’s worth a bookmark between now and Friday (or July 2 if you really keep it handy) because there are times when the value of an offer sheet — and thought that it might actually happen — can directly influence a trade now.Could the #Blackhawks Play in the Offer Sheet Pool This Summer? t.co/VZpEQxMd53
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) March 3, 2025 A good sign here: Jason Dickinson was on the ice well before the rest of the team on Monday morning. Interim head coach Anders Sorensen didn’t make it sounds like his return is going to be immediately soon, but he’s skating. And that’s improvement.Jason Dickinson is skating on his own before morning skate. He’s been out since Feb. 5 because of a high ankle sprain. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/Ux9DLxZNnk
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 3, 2025 The guy who used to skate 25 minutes per night on the Blackhawks’ blue line was formally introduced in Florida on Monday. That’s neat, eh? He mentioned that he left his winter jacket in Chicago (get it? It’s colder here than in Florida!) and then had some things to say about leaving the Hawks.“It was a tough four years in Chicago,” Seth Jones said. “Not what I envisioned when I signed there… I was just putting so much on myself, trying to do it all. That wasn’t the right thing, but it was hard mentally day-to-day. I’m happy I can come here…trust all the players around me and just win.”
The Panthers also confirmed that Matthew Tkachuk will miss “at least” the rest of the regular season because of the groin injury he suffered at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Which means the other team in Florida is now pulling a Vegas and has a truckload of LTIR space to play with before the deadline. Isn’t that convenient? Blackhawks prospect and current Brantford Bulldogs forward Nick Lardis was shockingly named the OHL’s Player of the Month for February. Wanna read a ridiculous stat line for the month? Here’s part of the release from the OHL:The dynamic forward made Bulldogs history by setting a single-season scoring record during the month, lighting the lamp 21 times in 11 games and adding 10 assists for a total of 31 points. Lardis recorded points in 10 of his 11 February matchups, highlighted by two five-point performances on February 2, where he registered four goals and an assist, and on February 17, where he tallied a goal and four assists. This marks the first Player of the Month award of Lardis’ career.
ICYMI: The #OHL announced Top Performers of the Month for February.DETAILS ?: t.co/DDajISi0Pd pic.twitter.com/NfqspGDiW6
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) March 3, 2025 How about this for timing? A Blackhawks prospect was named the NCHC Rookie of the Week on Monday… and, this time, it’s Minnesota-Duluth goaltender Adam Gajan! This is the fifth time a Blackhawks prospect earned Rookie of the Week honors in that conference (North Dakota center Sacha Boisvert got it the first four times).Our penultimate @KJ_Branding #NCHChockey Players of the Week put on a show in Week 20! ??: t.co/N2YnzmHPLR pic.twitter.com/2tYxWf6xHC
— The NCHC (@TheNCHC) March 3, 2025 Former Blackhawks defenseman Olli Maata signed a three-year extension with Utah that has a $3.5M cap hit on Monday. The New York Rangers continued to sit forward Reilly Smith for trade-related reasons. It sounds like the Canucks might move on from Brock Boeser before the deadline. Their season has been an unmitigated disaster and he reportedly turned down a decent offer earlier this year (reportedly five years at $8M AAV) and that offer is no longer on the table. Stay tuned… A little international best-on-best action update here regarding the IIHF and the NHL/NHLPA:NHL/NHLPA and the IIHF had a meeting this morning. Not a ton of detail other than the discussion was deemed to be positive. Internationally it’s best to have the IIHF as a partner in future events. I would expect the IIHF to follow up on the call in the near future.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 3, 2025MORE FROM BLEACHER NATION: Check Out BN Fantasy | Subscribe to The BN Newsletter
Hey! Former Cubs star Sammy Sosa talked about PEDs. Return of the (Khalil) Mack? Could it be? Do the Bulls… have a plan…?Hey #Blackhawks fans! Why not start your Fat Tuesday with a great purchase! @Fanatics has added Spencer Knight to their list of available Hawks jerseys. Buy it here: t.co/cNDS2wbaVFFree shipping today! Let's go!#ad pic.twitter.com/AUE3JLiQL2
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) March 4, 2025 Read More Details
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