The Chicago Blackhawks used the first two days of rookie camp to make a clear point: this group is going to feel different.
Before the prospects ever get to their two-game showcase with the St. Louis Blues early next week, they’ve already been put through a practice setting that leaned hard into pace, contact and competition. Twenty-two players were on the ice Friday and Saturday, and the early sessions gave a look at several of the organization’s most notable young names, including 2024 first-round picks Sacha Boisvert and Marek Vanacker, along with AJ Spellacy, Ryan Roobroeck and Adam Gajan.
Rockford IceHogs head coach Jared Nightingale is running the show for Chicago during the showcase, and he made the first day count with a workout that went a little over an hour and featured plenty of physical work.
“We want to get these guys off and running and ready to go for Monday. That’s why today’s practice was a little more physical. I thought that was crucial today.”
That approach fit the roster. This group has size, and it has it in a few different places.
That was part of the early impression when the showcase roster was first discussed on Aug. 31, and it showed up again on the ice. The drills were messy at times - bouncing pucks, missed passes, shots sailing high and wide - but that’s exactly what September hockey can look like.
More importantly, the tone was set.
Ty Henry felt it.
“It was really hard, I’m not going to lie,” said defenseman prospect Ty Henry about the intensity of Friday’s practice. “On the first drill, my legs were a little bit gassed. But it was good… it was a rough practice, but I had fun.”
There was also a noticeable physical change in some of the Blackhawks’ top prospects. Boisvert, Vanacker and Spellacy all spoke with the media on Friday, and the first thing that stood out wasn’t what they said.
It was how they looked. They’ve clearly spent time in the gym, and the added muscle was easy to see.
That matters for a team that wants more strength and sandpaper throughout the lineup, and Nightingale pointed to that kind of offseason investment as a good sign.
“They come here for training camp and see what it takes,” Nightingale said. There’s another level to being ready to play against men at this level. It’s good when these players show that they have invested.”
By Saturday, the Blackhawks were back at it with more of the same: fast drills, battle-heavy work, and a coaching staff that seemed intent on making Monday and Tuesday feel game-like from the jump.
Then came the line combinations and defensive pairings.
Boisvert landed the first-line center job, flanked by Spellacy and Roobroeck. It’s a big, physical trio, with all three players standing 6-foot-2 or taller. The upside is obvious, and so is the matchup problem they can create.
Vanacker, who may be the second-best offensive player on the roster, skated on the second line with Jiri Felcman and Martin Misiak. That group also brings size and scoring potential.
On defense, Taige Harding appears set to handle the top role for the showcase, which makes sense given his AHL experience last year with Rockford. Henry was on the second pair at left defense, and Ashton Cumby filled the same spot on the third pair.
In goal, Adam Gajan is expected to start Monday evening.
In Other News...
A.J. Spellacy Is Forcing His Way Into Blackhawks Camp Talk
A.J. Spellacy is making a strong early impression at the Blackhawks 2026 Prospect Showcase, where the forward prospect has drawn notice for the kind of game that tends to travel well once camp intensity ramps up. After four seasons in the OHL, Spellacy is heading into his first professional season, and the early chatter around him has centered on his physical edge, his speed and the sense that he already understands how to play a useful, responsible game.
For Chicago, that matters because the path to an opening-night roster spot is often built on trust as much as talent, and Spellacy has started to give the organization reasons to think about him as more than just a name on the camp board. He is expected to compete for a place with the Blackhawks, and the way he has looked so far has only sharpened the curiosity about how far this camp push can go once the real battles begin. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Rebuild May Hinge On One Sacrifice From Their Young Core
Frank Nazar used the NHL Player Media Tour to put a spotlight on a quieter part of the Blackhawks rebuild: how the team is trying to build a contender without painting itself into a salary-cap corner. Nazar talked about his own contract and the larger picture in Chicago, noting that he and other young players have already agreed to terms that help the organization preserve flexibility as it keeps adding pieces around its core.
That approach, though, is only getting harder to maintain as more of the next wave of talent gets ready for new deals. Chicago has a growing list of young players whose future contracts will help define whether this model can last, and the front office will soon face a real test of whether it can keep enough room open while rewarding the players it hopes will carry the rebuild forward. [Read more 🡒]
Taige Harding Is Giving Blackhawks Fans A Prospect To Watch
Taige Harding has given Blackhawks followers something to file away during prospect camp, where the 24-year-old defenseman has stood out among the blueliners ahead of the 2026 Prospect Showcase. A third-round pick, Harding brings the kind of size and skating presence that tends to grab attention early in camp, and he has already put himself in a position where his development is worth tracking closely.
There is still work to do, and both Harding and his coach know it. The next step is less about the spotlight of camp and more about sharpening the details of his game so he can keep climbing the organizational ladder and stay in the conversation for future NHL chances. [Read more 🡒]