Growing up in the 1990s in Madison, Wisconsin, Craig Smith watched a lot more college hockey — specifically the University of Wisconsin — than pro hockey.
But 100% of the NHL apparel he did own — that is to say, his only apparel — was a Blackhawks hat. Thus, one could portray his signing with the Hawks this summer as a full-circle moment, although that portrayal might be a stretch.
“It’s close to home for me, so the excitement was already there,” Smith said. “I love the [United Center and] I love the city, so it was a no-brainer for me. [It’s] a little bit of a dream come true.”
Smith made his unofficial Hawks debut in the preseason opener Wednesday, a 4-2 loss to the Red Wings. The 35-year-old forward had plenty of jump in his legs, bursting through for several scoring chances before potting a backhand goal in the second period.
Two of Smith’s favorite NHL players as a kid were Chris Chelios and Tony Granato, because — of course — they’re Wisconsin alumni. Now, they’re in the same organization as him: Granato will be a full-time studio analyst on Hawks TV broadcasts this season, and Chelios’ role as a Hawks ambassador is well-known.
Smith is also reunited with Seth Jones, whom he knew as a much younger player during the mid-2010s with the Predators.
He has bounced around since then, making stops in Boston, Washington and Dallas, but he’s hoping to settle into a stable depth role with the Hawks during his 14th career NHL training camp. He chipped in a respectable 11 goals and nine assists in 75 games for the Stars last season.
“I’ve got something to prove,” he said. “I want to be here; I want to have a spot. I want to continue to work toward something here.”
Prospect standouts
The Hawks have already sent four OHL prospects back to their respective junior teams, but they decided to keep two — forwards Nick Lardis and A.J. Spellacy — and put them in the lineup Wednesday, rewarding them for their strong performances in prospect and main camp.
Lardis’ stock has risen significantly since being drafted in the third round in 2023. As an average-sized forward with an elite shot, one might expect him to be more of a perimeter player, but he seems conscious of the fact he’ll need to get more dangerous, interior areas to eventually produce in the NHL.
“It’s important for me to learn the habits of getting to the net,” Lardis said. “85% of the goals are scored right around the crease…[so] I want to keep doing that more.”
Spellacy, a 2024 third-round pick, also looks more mature than expected. Not only is he a powerful skater, but he also brings some fire and grit, which he put on display in a first-period scrum Wednesday.
“He’s just a smart sports person,” coach Luke Richardson said. “He picks up things and he’s intelligent. [He] knows how to ingest it and implement it right away. So that’s a good sign.”
Prospect AJ Spellacy was another noticeable player Wednesday.
Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Foot by foot
Second overall pick Artyom Levshunov should’ve been the most interesting player to watch Wednesday, but instead he’s just progressing back to skating on his own while recovering from his late-summer foot injury.
Richardson said players jokingly told him it’s “hard to corral him to get off” the ice. His recovery timeline hasn’t changed, though; he’s still on track to return around Oct. 20, which would be roughly three games into Rockford’s season.
Sloppy start
Because the Hawks have scrimmaged so much in training camp, they haven’t spent much time practicing power-play situations yet, and that was evident Wednesday. Their first opportunity produced some good looks, but their three man-advantages after that yielded little.
That was one of many areas where the Hawks weren’t sharp in their preseason opener.
“[There were] a lot of sloppy plays…on both ends,” Connor Bedard said. “But it’s all of our first games in four or five months, so [that’s] to be expected a little, I guess. There’s definitely a lot of areas to clean up for both teams.
“It takes a few games to get your legs feeling it. I feel like I did more conditioning than I’ve ever done, and I was still pretty gassed.”
Bedard assisted Teuvo Teravainen for the Hawks’ second goal; Teravainen said his United Center return “felt like the old days” again. Goalie Petr Mrazek saved 20 of 22 shots during his two periods of action.