Chicago Blackhawks prospects Nick Schmaltz and Tyler Motte will be among the 27 players attending this year’s NHLPA Rookie Showcase, the players’ union announced Tuesday.
The event, which takes place Aug. 29 at Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, is a big marketing shindig designed to provide the chance to see up-and-coming players skate in their new uniforms. Upper Deck, the huge trading card company, helps organize the showcase and uses the event to take photographs for its upcoming products.
For the Hawks, it’s a nice nod to see two of their young forwards included among the attendees. Schmaltz and Motte are expected to compete for big roles with Chicago next season, so it’s understandable that a company like Upper Deck would want them on hand. Last year, Ryan Hartman participated, but the eventual Calder Trophy winner, Artemi Panarin, did not.
So don’t take this as some grand sign of Schmaltz and Motte being the second coming, even if their inclusion indicates some belief they’ll be among the more prominent first-year players in the league next season.
Personally, I’m excited about this primarily because it means the photo editor tool will finally have a bunch of images of Schmaltz and Motte in their Blackhawks uniforms. As much as I love digging into old Team USA photos, it’s time to get some pictures of Schmaltz in a Hawks jersey that aren’t from 2014 draft day. I have a feeling we’ll be posting about these two a lot next season.