Jim’s Daily: Hockey at the United Center; IceHogs; Ovechkin

The Chicago Blackhawks have a game at the United Center tonight, and it is hard to imagine just how different the roster looks compared to just last season.

The Blackhawks last regular season home game was on April 14, 2024 – against the Carolina Hurricanes. Chicago lost 4-2, with a crowd of 18,742 fans on hand to cheer on the Hawks.

The Blackhawks lineup that night featured guys like Ethan del Mastro, Jarred Tinordi and Kevin Korchinski on the blue line, and the forwards included Taylor Raddish, Tyler Johnson and a rookie making his NHL debut.

The last Blackhawks home game featured Frank Nazar’s “Welcome to the NHL moment” where he scored a big goal early for Chicago.

Relive the moment Nazar registered his first NHL goal with the Blackhawks:

Now in a new season, Nazar finds himself in the AHL, with Korchinski and del Mastro, as well as a handful of other prospects who spent some time in Chicago last season.

Home openers are always exciting, its the perfect introduction to a new season. With Lukas Reichel expected to get into the lineup tonight, maybe he will be this game’s Nazar – shining in his debut.

Check in with the Rockford IceHogs.

The Rockford IceHogs won their first game of the season against the Grand Rapids Griffins on Oct. 12. The IceHogs won 4-1 with goals from Kevin Korchinski, Cavan Fitzgerald, Colton Dach and Samuel Savoie. Drew Commesso made 18 saves on 19 shots playing the entire game.

Now the IceHogs will have a tough matchup with the Milwaukee Admirals, playing at home on Friday before traveling to Milwaukee on Saturday. These games have given a great opportunity to see the next generation of Blackhawks in action – some of these players very well could find some time in the NHL this season if injuries arise.

Ovechkin goal watch:

Through two games, Alex Ovechkin has failed to find the back of the net with the Washington Capitals. While he recently hit a big assist milestone, the Capitals need their star forward to put the puck in the back of the net.

Ovechkin registered six shots on goal during the Capitals 4-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday – a major improvement from tallying zero shots on goal in the Capitals home opener on Oct. 12 against New Jersey. The Blackhawks and Capitals will play twice this season – a home game on Dec. 17 and a road matchup on April 4 near the end of the season.