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News and notes from the first day of Blackhawks prospect camp

We’re talkin’ about practice, man.

Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

The rest of the team still won’t hit the ice for another week but a handful of Blackhawks prospects were in town and on the ice at the Fifth-Third Arena on Wednesday in preparation for the upcoming Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase.

The biggest news of the day dropped before practice started, with the Blackhawks announcing that 2024 No. 2 overall pick Artyom Levshunov will not participate in any hockey this week due to a right foot injury. While there’s still no official timeline for his return, it does not appear to be a major problem.

After practice, a trio of prospects met with the assembled media. The first was defenseman Ethan Del Mastro, who made his NHL debut last season amidst a strong AHL season with the IceHogs:

That NHL appearance had an impact on how he approached the mental side of being a professional hockey player:

AJ Spellacy, a 2024 third-round pick, was up next at the mic and he discussed his thoughts on making his initial trip to the weekend slate of games:

Offseason training was a theme of the press conferences:

Frank Nazar followed Spellacy, with the 2022 first-rounder discussing his upcoming audition at training camp for a possible spot on the Blackhawks roster:

He also talked about his summer hockey experiences, including one involving some guy named Patrick:

A particular college rival of Nazar’s came up as well:

The prospects will be back on the ice for a Thursday practice before games against the St. Louis Blues prospects on Friday and the Minnesota Wild prospects on Saturday as part of the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase in St. Louis.

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