In a move to refine their roster, the Chicago hockey team reassigned three promising players to their top minor league affiliate on Wednesday. Forward Frank Nazar, defenseman Kevin Korchinski, and defenseman Louis Crevier will all report to Rockford of the American Hockey League.
Meanwhile, 18-year-old forward AJ Spellacy, who impressed during training camp, will join Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League. Nazar, 20, was a first-round draft pick in 2022 and made his NHL debut last season, scoring a goal against Carolina on April 14.
According to Coach Luke Richardson, the decision to reassign Nazar was made to ensure he receives ample playing time and opportunities to develop his skills. “By sending Frank to Rockford, he’ll have the chance to be a top center and contribute to the power play and penalty kill units,” Richardson explained. “If he remained with us, his ice time might have been limited.”
Korchinski, also 20, was the seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft and had a solid rookie season with five goals and 10 assists in 76 games. Richardson believes this stint in the minors will allow Korchinski to fine-tune his game without the pressure of performing at the NHL level. “We want Kevin to thrive and reach his full potential, which is why we’re giving him this opportunity to grow and develop in Rockford.”
With these moves, the team’s camp roster has been trimmed to 28 players, consisting of 15 forwards, nine defensemen, and four goaltenders. The squad will face off against Utah in their season opener on Tuesday night.
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