Blackhawks News & Rumors: Sorensen, Korchinski, Nazar, Roenick

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The Chicago Blackhawks recently fired their head coach of over two seasons, and obviously lots of change revolves around this big move. A new coach has stepped up from the Rockford IceHogs, and he recently celebrated his first NHL win. His presence means some of the Blackhawks’ prospects may be coming up to the big club sooner rather than later. Also, the Blackhawks will celebrate one of their former iconic players later this month. It’s all here in our latest news and rumors.

Sorensen Celebrates 1st NHL Win

In a relatively surprising move, the Blackhawks decided to part ways with their head coach of over two seasons, Luke Richardson, on Dec. 5. Some saw this move as too soon, while others thought it was long overdue. General manager Kyle Davidson explained this as a necessary decision based on the team being last in the league in the standings. After all, the organization signed numerous veterans in the offseason and was supposed to be taking the next step in their rebuild.

Related – Thoughts on the Luke Richardson Firing & the Blackhawks Future

In Richardson’s stead, Rockford IceHogs’ head coach Anders Sorensen was named the interim head coach, with the understanding he would finish out the 2024-25 season as bench boss for the Blackhawks.

Sorensen’s first order of business was to stress a more aggressive game plan, focusing on speed and zone entries and pushing the pace. In short, focusing on offense versus defense. It took the players a few games to process these adjustments, but things seemed to click when they faced the New York Rangers on Dec. 9. The Blackhawks pushed the tempo for most of the contest, and came away with a 2-1 win to break a five-game losing skid. It was also Sorenson’s first NHL win.

This was a sloppy game in many aspects, and there’s still a lot of work to be done. But a win is a win, and the Blackhawks showed their potential under a new system. Sorensen has worked for the IceHogs for eight seasons, and been their head coach for the past four seasons. He has tons of experience developing Blackhawks’ prospects, many of whom will be part of Chicago’s future rise to contention.  

Korchinski Impresses in Season Debut

Speaking of which, 2022 seventh overall draft pick Kevin Korchinski was recalled from the IceHogs for the contest against the Rangers. The Blackhawks have suffered some injuries on their blue line recently. Seth Jones hasn’t played since Nov. 14 due to a right foot injury, and Alec Martinez is currently day-to-day with a neck injury he sustained on Dec. 7 versus the Winnipeg Jets.

20-year-old Korchinski actually played in 76 games with the Blackhawks last season. Due to Canadian Hockey League rules he wasn’t eligible for the American Hockey League. The defenseman had a lot of ups and downs, as can be expected for such a young player coming straight to the NHL out of CHL.

Related – Blackhawks Sending Kevin Korchinski to AHL is Right Move

So, the decision was made for Korchinski to start with the IceHogs this season, to fine tune his game. It was a bit of a step back for him, but it ended up doing wonders for his game. Korchinski thrived with the IceHogs, contributing two goals and 11 points in 21 games, as one of their top defenders.   

Sorensen and the organization wanted to reward Korchinski for his strong play, which is why he was recalled for the Blackhawks’ contest against the Rangers. It was a measuring stick of sorts, to see how the blueliner’s improvements in the AHL translated to the NHL. Korchinski passed with flying colors.

Kevin Korchinski Chicago Blackhawks
Defenseman Kevin Korchinski was recently recalled to the Chicago Blackhawks. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The young defenseman registered two shots on goal and one blocked shot in 16:54 minutes of ice time, while also quarterbacking the second power play unit. At one point in the game, Korchinski did an excellent job defending the Rangers’ elite forward and famous former Blackhawk, Artemi Panarin.

Sorensen called Korchinski’s performance “unbelievable” and indicated he will at least play in the next contest against the New York Islanders on Thursday. (Dec. 12). Said the coach, “He has settled down defensively. He’s steadier back there; he plays his position much better now. The biggest thing for him is, [since] we drafted him as an offensive defenseman, we want him to utilize his strengths in those areas.”

It will likely be dependent on the health of Jones and Martinez, but perhaps Korchinski is ready for a longer stay with the big club.

When Will Nazar Join the Blackhawks?

In other IceHogs’ news, Blackhawks’ 13th overall draft pick (from 2022) Frank Nazar had just a mediocre training camp for the Blackhawks, and he, like Korchinski, started the season with the IceHogs. It turns out he is absolutely knocking it out of the park at the AHL level. The 20-year-old currently boasts 11 goals and 24 points in 20 games for the IceHogs, which puts him in top spots in many categories.

NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman mentioned in his 32 Thoughts on Dec. 9 that Nazar might be called up to the Blackhawks, and ESPN hockey reporter Emily Kaplan followed up with this statement, “For Blackhawks fans wondering when they might see top prospect Frank Nazar in the NHL.. not imminent, but we’re getting close. Chicago wants its prospects to over-ripen in AHL. Believe the initial call up plan for Nazar was later this season, but timeline has moved up because of how well he’s playing in Rockford.”

Frank Nazar Chicago Blackhawks
Top prospect Frank Nazar appears to be on the cusp of getting called up to the Chicago Blackhawks. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Many thought if Blackhawks’ depth forward Joey Anderson cleared waivers on Dec. 9, that would facilitate a call-up for Nazar. But Davidson mentioned in his presser for Sorensen’s promotion that he wanted the team to get situated before they made any more moves. So, calling up Nazar in Sorensen’s second game as coach didn’t exactly go along with that narrative.

That said, it appears it’s a matter of when, not if, Nazar joins the Blackhawks. Something to keep an eye on in the coming days.

Blackhawks to Honor Roenick

Finally, the Blackhawks released an announcement on Dec. 10 that former franchise icon Jeremy Roenick will be honored for his recent Hall of Fame induction on Thursday, Dec. 19, when the Blackhawks host the Seattle Kraken.

There will be a Q & A session in the Atrium before the game, moderated by Blackhawks’ radio color analyst and Roenick’s former teammate, Troy Murray. Furthermore, Roenick will “sound the horn” before the game and the  Blackhawks will have a video tribute for him during the first television timeout.

This will be a special night for Roenick and the fans to celebrate his storied career and his impact with the Blackhawks.  

Related – Blackhawks Snap 5-Game Losing Skid With 2-1 Win Over the Rangers

It’s a busy time for the Blackhawks as we approach the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. There is some excitement in the air as the team settles in with their new coach and some new additions to their lineup. The Blackhawks have some of their own celebrations lined up, and hopefully some more wins! Keep it here at The Hockey Writers as for all the latest hockey news, updates and analysis.

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