Morning Chirps: Drew Commesso Progressing, World Cup Returning

General manager Kyle Davidson spoke to the media while the Chicago Blackhawks were heading out of town for their three-game road trip. The Blackhawks will be back in action tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning. We’ll have a full game preview and postgame reaction for you later today. As we look across the landscape, those who want to see the return of the World Cup of Hockey will be happy. Plus, a division rival traded away a former top prospect.

Blackhawks Chirps

• Davidson spoke for 30 minutes on Monday morning, covering everything from the trade deadline to free agency to Connor Bedard and the coaching change. His message was clear: this rebuild will take time, but they are on the right path.
• Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times recently caught up with Blackhawks goaltending prospect Drew Commesso.
• On Jan. 28, 1942, Max Bentley set a team record with seven points during a 10-1 win over the New Rangers. All four of his goals came in the third period and were assisted by his brother Doug Bentley.
• On this date in 1958, Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay scored his 350^th career goal to lead the Blackhawks to a 3-1 victory against the Rangers.
• Two former Stanley Cup winners, Colin Fraser (2010) and Daniel Carcillo (2013), are celebrating their 40^th birthday today!                                   

NHL Chirps

• TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the NHL and NHLPA will move forward with the 2028 World Cup of Hockey without the IIHF. He says both sides are hopeful to make an announcement during the 4 Nations Face-off next month. Let’s hope Team North America makes its triumphant return!
• It was a busy day for the Pittsburgh Penguins. First, they put future Hall of Famer Evgeni Malkin on injured reserve. Later in the day, a report surfaced that Fenway Sports Group is considering selling a minority stake in the team.
• The Lightning will be without defenseman Emil Lilleberg when they host the Blackhawks tonight. The NHL Department of Player Safety slapped him with a two-game suspension for a hit to the head of Detroit Red Wings’ forward J.T. Compher.
• The Washington Capitals signed goaltender Logan Thompson to a six-year, $35.1 million contract extension. The 27-year-old is having a breakout season with a 22-2-4 record, a .925 save percentage (SV%), and a 2.09 goals-against average (GAA). His performance will likely earn him his first career Vezina Trophy nomination.
• The St. Louis Blues traded defenseman Scott Perunovich to the New York Islanders for a conditional fifth-round pick. He was a second-round pick in 2018 and was one of the Blues’ top prospects for years. Unfortunately, a series of shoulder injuries limited him to only 58 games over the past three seasons. Russ Macias of New York Islanders Hockey Now gave some insight into how Perunovich will be used by Patrick Roy.
• Quinn Hughes recorded two assists in the Vancouver Cancuks’ 5-2 win over the Blues. He became the first defenseman in franchise history to have 100 multi-point games. It took him 410 games to reach this milestone, making him the seventh-fastest player to do so in NHL history.