Morning Chirps: Spellacy Suspended, Former Blackhawks Lead Red Wings

The Chicago Blackhawks continue their four-game road trip with a late-night game against the San Jose Sharks. We’ll have a full game preview for you after morning skate concludes. There was plenty of prospect news on Wednesday, plus a trio of former Blackhawks led a bitter rival to a huge victory.

Blackhawks Chirps

• In case you missed it yesterday, defenseman Alec Martinez returned to practice after leaving Monday’s game with an injury.
• If and when David Carle is ready to move on from the college ranks, he will be a hot commodity among NHL teams. Joe Smith of the Athletic caught up with the University of Denver head coach. Carle is on the wish list of many Blackhawks fans. While I think he will be a good NHL coach one day, I personally want Kyle Davidson to hire a coach with NHL experience and preferably a long track record of success.
• Staying in the college ranks, University of Minnesota defenseman Sam Rinzel was named a finalist for the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. His 10 goals led all defenseman in the conference, and he ranked fourth in the NCAA in points by a blueliner.
• In Russia, Roman Kantserov had an assist on Wednesday to extend his point streak to three games.

• Back in North America, AJ Spellacy was suspended for two games by the OHL due to his actions in Tuesday’s game against the Erie Otters. He received a game misconduct for being the aggressor in a fight with five seconds left in the game, which comes with an automatic suspension.
• Erie got back on track last night with a 6-5 win over the Sarina Sting. Martin Masiak capped off his three-point night by scoring the game-winning goal. The 2023 third-round pick has 21 goals and 54 points in 55 OHL games.

NHL Chirps

• The Detroit Red Wings are in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race and needed three former Blackhawks to beat the Buffalo Sabres last night. Petr Mrazek made his first start since being traded back to Detroit on Friday. He allowed three goals on 26 shots but got something he rarely ever got in Chicago: goal support. Patrick Kane had two goals and five points, while Alex Debrincat chipped in with a goal and four points to lead the offense to a 7-3 win. The Red Wings are two points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final Wild Card spot.
• Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard told 98.5 Sports in a recent interview that he is unsure what his plans are for beyond this season. The 34-year-old blueliner found his name in many rumors before the trade deadline but stayed put in Montreal. If Savard wants to play next season, the unrestricted free agent could be a target for the Blackhawks, as they will need at least one veteran right-handed defender added to the mix.
• Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz left last Saturday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers after taking an Adam Henrique slap shot to the face. He missed Sunday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks and is expected to sit out against the Winnipeg Jets tomorrow. Head coach Pete DeBeor is hopeful the talented winger will return against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.
• The Arizona Coyotes’ former ownership is suing the Mullet Arena management group to return the $3.5 million security deposit. According to Zach Buchanan of the Phoenix New Times, the lawsuit says the former owner, Alex Meruelo, was compelled by the NHL to sell their team rights, which should have triggered a clause in the lease that allowed them to get the refund. I think I speak for all hockey fans when I say that Meruelo needs to go away for good.