Morning Chirps: Joel Quenneville Hired by Ducks, World Championship Begins Today

The Rockford IceHogs will host the Milwaukee Admirals in Game 4 of the AHL Central Division Semifinals. I’m making the trip down I-90 to cover the game for you, so make sure you’re following along on social media. Be on the lookout for a full postgame recap with reaction from the IceHogs locker room later tonight.

Blackhawks Chirps

• The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler put out his first mock draft for the entire first round. He has the Blackhawks taking Anton Frondell at No. 3 and Michigan State center Shane Vansaghi with their second first-round pick. We don’t know where this pick will land, or if the Blackhawks will still have it by the time the draft rolls around on June 27.
• The IIHF World Championship starts today with four Blackhawks in action. Arvid Soderblom, Anders Sorensen, and Sweden open the tournament by taking on Slovakia at 1:20 p.m. CT. Artist David Gunnarsson shared the mask he designed for Soderblom on his Instagram account.

• Teuvo Teravainen and Finland will kick off the tournament against Austria at 9:20 a.m. CT. Frank Nazar and Alex Vlasic will make their debuts with Team USA when they take on Denmark at 1:20 p.m. CT.
• On this date in 1971, the Blackhawks opened a 2-0 lead on the Montreal Canadiens in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. However, a 3-0 series lead was not meant to be as the Habs stormed back for four unanswered goals and a 4-2 victory.
• On May 9, 1985, the Blackhawks snapped the Edmonton Oilers’ NHL-record 12-game postseason winning streak by beating them 5-2 in Game 3 of the Campbell Conference Final. Denis Savard had a goal and three points, as the Blackhawks held Wayne Gretzky off the scoresheet. This was Edmonton’s first postseason loss since the New York Islanders beat them in Game 2 of the 1984 Stanley Cup Final.
• Two American milestones were hit on May 9, 2021. Alex DeBrincat’s goal in a 4-2 win over the Dallas Stars made him the seventh U.S.-born player to score 30 goals in two of his first four seasons. Patrick Kane recorded his 50th assist, surpassing Phil Housley and Brian Leetch for the most 50-assist seasons by an American at seven.
• Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, May 9: Brent Grieve and Calvin de Haan.

IceHogs Chirps

• The IceHogs have another shot to wrap up the Central Division Semifinals tonight. They will look to avoid another trip up to Milwaukee on Sunday. If you listen to Joey Anderson, the Hogs will have a response after their 6-2 loss in Game 3.

• If you’re coming to the BMO Center tonight, be sure to wear white. They tried a “Red Out” for Game 3, and that didn’t work, so white gets the nod tonight.

NHL Chirps

• The biggest news on Thursday was the Anaheim Ducks hiring former Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville. This is a polarizing move, but the Ducks are willing to take the PR hit if it means the team starts winning again. I don’t think that Quenneville or Stan Bowman should have the privilege to work in the NHL, but it’s not surprising they are both back in the league in less than four years. Quenneville and the Ducks have talked about all the “work” he’s done to make amends, but have not gone into any details about exactly what he’s done.
• Goaltender Anthony Stolarz did not travel with the Toronto Maple Leafs to Florida. There have not been any concrete updates on Stolarz, except that he was released from a hospital following Game 1 and is recovering. The team hasn’t even confirmed whether their netminder is in the league’s concussion protocol.
• New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald met the media on Thursday. James Nichols of NJ Hockey Now reports that he was not satisfied with how the season ended and will look to make roster changes this summer.
• The Washington Capitals evened their series with the Carolina Hurricanes with a 3-1 Game 2 victory. Tom Wilson had a goal and an assist to lead the way. Goaltender Logan Thompson was the player of the night, making 27 saves, including 16 in the third period. The series moves to Carolina for Game 3 on Saturday.

• The Edmonton Oilers are up 2-0 on the Vegas Golden Knights after a 5-4 overtime win. Since the Golden Knights scored first, it was their sixth straight come-from-behind victory in the playoffs. However, Vegas erased two separate two-goal deficits in the third period to force overtime. They survived a five-minute penalty kill early in overtime but still came up short. After superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were kept off the scoresheet in regulation, the dynamic duo connected for the game-winning goal. Game 3 will be in Edmonton on Saturday.

• Game 3 between the Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers kicks off tonight’s Stanley Cup Playoffs action at 6 p.m. CT. The Winnipeg Jets will look to slow down Mikko Rantanen and the Stars in Game 2 of their series at 8:30 p.m. CT.