Blackhawks News & Rumors: Wirtz Memorial, Jones, Bjork & More

I love Seabrook’s analogy of “pulling the same rope together”, and it’s obvious that Rocky had a way of endearing himself to others. Hossa talked about their “gentleman’s agreement” when he expressed his desire to retire as a Blackhawk. We all know Rocky was true to his word with Hossa.

The Blackhawks really did it right in honoring the legacy of the man who not only revitalized but “saved the franchise”, as Foley surmised. In the past year the Blackhawks have undergone some huge transformations, including new coaching and the losses of legends Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. A new and exciting age appears to be on the horizon, but Rocky’s death seems to truly mark the end of an era for the Blackhawks.  

Caleb Jones Joins the Hurricanes

Let’s move on to some recent player news. On Thursday the Carolina Hurricanes announced a one-year deal with defenseman Caleb Jones. The Blackhawks chose to not re-sign the free agent after he spent two seasons with the team.

Jones never seemed to have a whole lot of popularity among fans. Many seemed to think he was only brought in to appease his brother, top defenseman Seth Jones. But Caleb played well down the stretch last season. In the wake of injuries and a depleted roster, he lined up on the top defensive pairing alongside his brother. Now Jones would never have that deployment on a better team, but he more than held his own there with the Blackhawks.

The 26-year-old offered some flexibility in that he was comfortable playing on both the left and right side. The team currently only has Seth (Jones), Connor Murphy and Nikita Zaitsev as right-shot defensemen, including their prospects. Someone like Caleb could have been a bit of an insurance policy.

It makes one wonder if the Blackhawks will pick up a right-sided blueliner before the season starts, to balance things out a little bit. But one thing is clear; the organization feels some of the younger defensive prospects are ready for everyday NHL action. While the aforementioned veterans will line up on the right side, look for their partners to be relative newcomers such as Alex Vlasic, Isaak Phillip and Wyatt Kaiser. Perhaps Filip Roos could be an option as well. And then there’s the 19-year-old 2023 seventh overall draft pick, Kevin Korchinski. Will he impress enough to make the roster? This will definitely be a storyline to follow in training camp.

Bjork Signs With the IceHogs

In other news on Thursday, forward Anders Bjork signed an AHL one-year deal with the Rockford IceHogs. Bjork joined the Blackhawks from the Buffalo Sabres at the trade deadline last March, although he played mostly for their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. With the Americans, he posted eight goals and 25 points in 42 games.

He had a strong showing with the Blackhawks as well, contributing two goals and eight points in 13 games. But like Jones, the Blackhawks decided not to re-sign Bjork to the big club. Although, apparently both sides were happy enough with each other to make this deal with the IceHogs.

Bjork hails from Mequon, Wisconsin, so he’s probably happy to be relatively close to home. He also represented Team USA at the 2023 IIHF World Championship this past May, where he recorded two assists in 10 games. The 27-year-old should be a solid addition to the IceHogs.

Wedding Season

Finally, I’ll close by highlighting all the Blackhawks’ weddings this summer. ‘Tis the season!

My colleague Brooke stays on top of Instagram way better than I do, so shout out to her for keeping me in the loop. Here’s a picture of Murphy with his wife Kristina and their dog Finn!

Besides Murphy, Taylor Raddysh, Ryan Donato and Colin Blackwell all recently tied the knot. Tyler Johnson and Petr Mrazek also have gotten engaged. Congratulations to all!

Thanks for reading about the latest news and rumors. We’ll keep you updated of any happenings throughout August and into training camp and preseason games. It will ALL be here before you know it!