Three Former UND Players Make Blackhawks 2016 Rookie Tournament Roster

Today, the Chicago Blackhawks released their roster for the 2016 Rookie Tournament today. The tournament will be held at Centre ICE Arena in Traverse City, Michigan, from Sept. 16-20. If you look at the Blackhawks rookie tournament roster there are three former UND players on it.

The fourteen forwards on the roster include Nick Schmaltz, Bryn Chyzyk and Luke Johnson.

Schmaltz, Motte, DeBrincat, Forsling among the #Blackhawks rookies who will play in Traverse City on Sept. 16-20. pic.twitter.com/E2g1LIQ9wt

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) September 1, 2016

Nick Schmaltz impresses Chicago Blackhawks

Schmaltz leaves strong first impression http://t.co/cnmgh786tP
— ESPN Chicago (@ESPNChiHawks) July 24, 2014

While he may not be the second coming of Jonathan Toews, not many are, soon-to-be UND freshman forward Nick Schmaltz impressed the Chicago Blackhawks brass with his efforts during a recent development camp.

Scott Powers, ESPNChicago.com --- To eliminate that risk, the Blackhawks could look to sign those college prospects earlier. They could attempt to sway their top top-tier college players to leave after their sophomore or junior seasons and sign them to entry-level contracts. They have done this before with players such as Jonathan Toews and Nick Leddy.

The Blackhawks already appear to have a handful of players whom they might consider signing prior to their senior seasons. Forwards John Hayden, Vincent Hinostroza and Anthony Louis are coming off productive freshman seasons and continued to impress at last week's prospect camp. Tyler Motte didn't attend the camp, but he also had a strong freshman season. Nick Schmaltz, the Blackhawks' 2014 first-round pick, also played well in the camp and will be a freshman next year.

That being said, it doesn't appear that the Blackhawks are going to rush him to sign an NHL contract, either.

Scott Powers, ESPNChicago.com --- Blackhawks amateur scouting director Mark Kelley did a majority of the evaluating of the 6-foot, 172-pound Schmaltz and had him high on the list of the offensively-skilled players in the NHL draft. One of Schmaltz’s skills especially stood out to Kelley.

“His hands, they’re fast,” Kelley said at the NHL draft.

Schmaltz isn’t a finished product, and that also attracted the Blackhawks to him. The Blackhawks weren’t looking for someone in the first round they could rush to the NHL. They sought someone with a high ceiling, but who would need time to get there.

(Video) Peter Regin goes into the net but puck stays out, no goal

It was very close, but close doesn't count on the score board. Blackhawks forward Peter Regin is cross-checked into the goal by L.A. Kings defenseman Willie Mitchel. As the puck is headed towards the goal line the puck is batted out of the net by L.A. Kings forward Tyler Toffoli.

Peter Regin goes into the net but the puck stays out. #blackhawks #lakings pic.twitter.com/ndffkwDJwf
— Shnarped Hockey (@shnarped) May 22, 2014

Kane with a backhand that goes up in the air and around the line. Does the puck go ALL THE WAY in? That's the question. #Blackhawks
— Tracey Myers (@TramyersCSN) May 22, 2014

Doesn't look like it crossed the line. #Blackhawks are going to get a power play anyway; Mitchell in the box again.
— Tracey Myers (@TramyersCSN) May 22, 2014

(Video) Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise scores against the Blackhawks (Game 3)

Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise scores his fourth goal of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Chicago Blackhawks. With the win, the Blackhawks lead the series 2-1.

Tampa Scores on Own Net; Jonathan Toews Gets Credit For Goal

Easy goal for Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews eh? I would imagine that this flukey goal will create a buzz on the internet in the near future. Unfortunately for the Blackhawks, they still ended up losing in to the Tampa Bay Lightning in overtime.  That was the fourth goal of the season for Toews who seems to have gotten off to a slow start for the Blackhawks scoring (4g-3a—7pts) in 10 games.

Stanley Cup Final game six: Lucic goal

This was the goal by Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic scored at the 12:11 mark of the third period. Of course the Blackhawks weren't done as they scored two goals, 17 seconds apart to win the 3-2 and the Stanley Cup Series 4-2.

Wild win in a Shootout 3-2

The WCHA was well represented tonight. Here is the video of the shootout. Shooting is former Fighting Sioux forwards Zach Parise and Jonathan Toews. Also, Mikko Koivu, Patrick. Kane, former Saint Cloud State Husky Matt Cullen and Patrick Sharp shootout attempts.

Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews has a 50 percent success rate in the shootouts. That's incredible in my opinion.

Kane apologetic over drinking escapade

It's been quite the summer for the Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane. Also, the Chicago Blackhawks are concerned about Kane's off the ice behavior. Apparently, the club suggested the young star seek help, as well. 

Kane apologetic over drinking escapade Kane made his first public appearance Friday since photos of him attending the Mifflin Street Block Party in Madison, Wis., on May 5 were published on deadspin.com showing the seemingly intoxicated 23-year-old cavorting with college students, apparently passed out at a bar and, in one, appearing to walk away after a confrontation with a police officer.

"We all saw the photos, they're pretty embarrassing," Kane said before the opening ceremony of the Blackhawks Convention. "It was the offseason and you're trying to have a good time but you have to realize the spotlight you're in no matter where you are. For me, the situation I'm in now is you always have to act like someone is watching you.

"I was looking for a good weekend with my friends and things probably got a little bit out of control. From seeing the pictures to the stories, it's not fun to see but hopefully it's something that can make me better as a person."

Kane has had well-documented incidents — including a confrontation with a Buffalo taxi driver in 2009 that led to his arrest and photos of him with teammates in the back of a limousine in Vancouver in '10 — that apparently involved alcohol. But the forward set to enter his sixth NHL season doesn't believe he has a drinking problem.

Now we can all rest better, knowing that Patrick Kane doesn't have a drinking problem. I like many are hoping that Kane doesn't in fact have a drinking problem and can have a great season going forward, next season. Kane is one of the rising young American hockey stars, that will hopefully be representing the US soon - especially if the Olympic allows the NHL stars to play in the 2014 Olympics again. 

Time for the Hawks to flush Kane

Dead Spin Photo

It would appear that Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane needs to grow up and start acting like an adult and not a punk. Also, maybe Kane could learn a think or two from his fellow teammate Jonathan Toews on how to behave in public and not some spoiled brat.

Chris Kuc, Tribune reporter --- After a subpar postseason series against the Coyotes during which he had four assists in the six-game loss and was off the ice in the final minutes of Game 6 following a misconduct penalty for, as Kane put it, "just kind of slashing (Coyotes) like Paul Bunyan out there," the offseason arrived.

Not more than a few weeks into it, photos of an allegedly intoxicated Kane attending the Mifflin Street Block Party on Cinco de Mayo in Madison, Wis., were published on deadspin.com. They showed Kane cavorting with college students, apparently passed out at a bar and, in one, appearing to walk away while talking with a police officer.

At first, it fueled more head-shaking and "that's just Kaner being Kaner" thoughts. Things suddenly got much more serious when the website began quoting anonymous sources alleging Kane choked a woman before being thrown out of a party and also hurled an anti-semitic slur during another altercation.

Personally, if I was the general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks I would trade this punk and get rid of the distraction that comes with this clown, while Kane had a down season last year, the GM could still try to get a decent replacement that comes with less baggage than Kane.

This isn’t the first incident with Kane; he was arrested in 2009 for roughing up a Buffalo Cab driver when the cab driver didn’t have the correct change. Kane and his punk cousin James ended up beating up cabbie over 20 cents, no that’s not a misprint, he assaulted someone over 20 cent’s. It’s not like 20 cents was going to break him, he is rich from playing a kids game.

Most normal people can fathom beating up a cab driver over a minuscule amount like that – most normal people would have also landed in jail for an assault like that because most of us don’t the ability to buy an expensive defense team like Kane can. Seriously! Maybe Kane should learn to control his anger and stop acting like a spoiled entitlement kid; if I was in the Blackhawks front office I would put this punk on double secret probation and would cut him the next time he gets out of line and embarrasses the Blackhawks organization. There is no way you can excuse this type of behavior and I haven’t seen anyone doing so, yet.

Raffi Torres hit on Marian Hossa

One year to the day after Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres hit On Brent Seabrook with a questionable hit behind the Blackhawks net Torres laid out Marian Hossa with this hit. The problem is that Torres left his feet to make this hit. The NBC broadcast crew interviewed the Blawkhawks head coach  Joel Quenneville on the bench and it was pretty obvious that he was very angry that four guys on the ice could miss that hit.

You would have to think that Raffi Torres might be looking at a big suspension and the possibility that this could be his last game during the 2012 playoffs, or not. Hossa was carried off of the ice on a stretcher and there was no penalty on the play.

Daniel Sedin hits Duncan Keith in head

Last night there was a lot of outrage about Blackhawks defensemen Duncan Keith's hit on Canucks forward Daniel Sedin.

What I didn't see was a lot of outrage about Daniel Sedins hit on Duncan Keith, and both hits are bad. Being consistent, I think you can see that both players "could be" required to sit a game or two, both hits are bad and unnecessary. I also think that you can't suspend one without suspending the other. It will be interesting to see how the department of player safety handles this case.

Related articles

• Duncan Keith's hit on Daniel Sedin (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• Should Duncan Keith be suspended for the hit on Daniel Sedin? (rantsports.com)