The preseason is for preparation, not just for the 60 minutes of action on the ice but also for the pregame and postgame routines.
It should benefit rookie Connor Bedard to have experienced that road-game routine at least once before the Blackhawks open the regular season on a five-game trip, even though preseason logistics are slightly different. The Hawks hold their morning skate in Chicago before flying in the afternoon, rather than waking up and spending the entire day in the road city.
That was likely part of the Hawks’ logic behind sending Bedard to Detroit on Sunday for an ugly 6-1 loss to the Red Wings.
‘‘He just wants to play hockey,’’ coach Luke Richardson said. ‘‘I don’t think he cares where it is. When he’s on the ice, he’s going to feel most comfortable.’’
With some of the Hawks’ NHL forwards staying home, Bedard was flanked by Andreas Athanasiou and Taylor Raddysh. His 20 minutes, 52 seconds of ice time and four shots on goal were highlighted by an end-to-end rush in which he embarrassed Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson but was turned away at the net.
But the extremely young defense group the Hawks sent had a tough time, and goalie Jaxson Stauber fared even worse.
The Hawks have assigned a number of prospects to Rockford already, trimming their camp roster to 41 as of Sunday. And with a day off scheduled for Monday, more evaluations and cuts will come soon.
Savoie has femur surgery
Prospect forward Samuel Savoie, who was taken off the ice on a stretcher after crashing violently into the boards during the Hawks’ preseason game Saturday against the Wild, had surgery to repair his right femur Sunday in Minnesota.
Although no timeline was given, his recovery likely will disrupt some or all of his 2023-24 season and will be an unfortunate blow to his development.
Since being drafted in the third round in 2022, Savoie’s tenacity and scrappiness have made him an instant fan favorite. He was expected to be one of the top players this season on the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
