Blackhawks Prospect Continues Strong Showing At Training Camp

The Chicago Blackhawks now have a training camp roster of just 35 players – 19 forwards, 11 defensemen and 5 goaltenders.

The Blackhawks cut six players on Sunday, sending Landon Slaggert, Colton Dach, Cole Guttman, Ryder Rolston, Samuel Savoie and Ethan Del Mastro to the Rockford IceHogs. While Chicago still has plenty of players battling for spots, one player has stood out from the rest.

AJ Spellacy has had a strong showing at training camp for Blackhawks.

AJ Spellacy was drafted in the third round of the 2024 NHL Draft. It was not too long ago that the 18 year old was drafted, but at just his first training camp he has made it through three rounds of roster cuts to remain with the team entering the final week of the preseason.

Spellacy has some incredible speed. The Windsor Spitfires forward registered 38 points last season in 67 games, including 21 goals. Spellacy has shown his skill throughout training camp, and it all started at the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase.

WOW!

Incredible goal by AJ Spellacy to get the Blackhawks right back on top!

pic.twitter.com/1pXMbN5dv3

— Chicago Hockey Now (@chihockeynow) September 14, 2024

While Spellacy is not going to make the Blackhawks this season out of training camp, he has shown just how valuable he can be for the team down the road.

Based on practice on Monday, this is what the Blackhawks projected lineup may look like in Minnesota on Tuesday:

Hall-Bedard-Bertuzzi
Reichel-Kurashev-Smith
Foligno-Dickinson-Mikheyev
Spellacy-Athanasiou-Maroon

Vlasic-Jones
Korchinski-Murphy
Phillips-Crevier

Commesso
Soderblom

All in all, that is a pretty veteran heavy lineup with Spellacy still playing to start the Blackhawks fourth preseason game.

Last season, only six players from the 2023 NHL Draft played in at least one NHL game: Connor Bedard (1st Overall – 68 games with Chicago), Zach Benson (13th Overall – 71 games with Buffalo), Leo Carlsson (2nd Overall – 55 games with Anaheim), Adam Fantilli (3rd Overall – 49 games with Columbus), Bradly Nadeau (30th overall – one game with Carolina) and Gavin Brindley (34th overall – one game with Columbus).

There is no reason to expect Spellacy to make the team out of training camp. His start in Chicago has to be a great learning experience for the young forward to take back to the OHL this season and will only make him better once he does join Chicago.

Spellacy might be a few years away from the NHL, but it looks like Kyle Davidson added a player that can be a big role player down the line in Chicago.

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