The Chicago Blackhawks are loaded with great prospects. Some of them are the “stars” you know, like Anton Frondell, Sam Rinzel, and Artyom Levshunov, but there are others who hope to be depth NHL pieces one day.
One of those is AJ Spellacy, an American-born forward who Chicago selected in the third round (72nd overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft. He is currently slated to resume his OHL career with the Windsor Spitfires this fall.
This week, Spellacy has been attending the World Junior Summer Showcase as a member of Team USA. They brought enough players to dress two teams (Team White & Team Blue), which shows how deep this country is in terms of hockey development.
On Wednesday, however, they combined the two teams with their best players to go up against Team Sweden. AJ Spellacy earned an opportunity to play with the big boys in the lineup.
Spellacy played as the fourth line center. Will Horcoff of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Shane Vansaghi of the Philadelphia Flyers were his wingers. It was a big-bodied line that was hard to play against.
USA Hockey (@usahockey) on XPeep those lines 👀 #WJSSAJ Spellacy didn’t record a point in the Team USA loss, but his physicality was noticeable. He isn’t a guy who will always impress with his puck handling or goal scoring, but he is hard to play against, which could make him a typical fourth-line forward at the highest level. Spellacy never avoids contact with opponents, and he doesn't let anyone get away with getting too close to him.
It seems, based on his role at this camp, that Spellacy has a shot to make the World Juniors squad when the time comes during the winter. USA Hockey will see much turnover this year as a lot of players who won back-to-back Gold Medals have moved on to pro hockey, which opens the door for guys like Spellacy.
It isn’t only USA Hockey that has confidence in Spellacy at this time. He was outstanding with the Blackhawks in the preseason last year, and they eventually signed him in the middle of the season. It’s unlikely that he plays in the NHL before 2026-27, but the Blackhawks saw him as worthy of a deal. Now, everyone is catching on to how impactful he can be.
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The community has always been at the forefront of everything the Golden Knights organization does, and while it may be the off-season, that doesn’t mean there can’t still be pucks in play.
The Knights organization spent mid-July on their annual road trip with a series of free youth on-ice hockey clinics.
Nothing but fun in Northern Nevada 😃#VGKRoadTrip | @A1GarageDoorshttps://t.co/q20ZyFudD2
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) July 14, 2025
Northern Nevada was the first stop for the Knights' staff. The first round of 100 kids ages 5 to 13 took part in two on-ice hockey clinics. Led by Sheri Hudspeth, Director of Youth Hockey Programs, and her devoted team of coaches, the sessions were packed with energy. Golden Knights broadcaster Shane Hnidy and Tahoe Knight Monsters forward Anthony Collins joined in, offering their guidance to all of the young participants.
The young players learned new skills, met mascots Chance and Tessie, and most importantly made new hockey memories. Families traveled from all over to be part of the experience. There was one family that stood out, Marco and Cici, who brought their son, Michael all the way from London to grow as an athlete under the Knights' guidance.
“The UK hockey training is so limited," Marco said. "Resources are so limited, so we have to wake up at five in the morning. As a parent, we have to drop him off at the ice rink, and we’ve been doing this for four years.”
Michael’s passion for the sport began when his school's headmaster introduced him to the game. Since then, he’s built confidence, made friends, and immersed himself in the world of hockey. Marco would often catch Michael watching NHL highlights on YouTube.
"He really enjoys the training and has built the confidence while playing on a team which really changed his life," Marco said. "We enjoy watching it.”
After the visit to South Tahoe the VGK crew headed to Reno Ice for another round of sold-out clinics, including an NHL Learn to Play session. The second batch of 150 kids laced up their skates to train with Hudspeth, Hnidy, Chance, Tessie, and Archie, the mascot of the Reno Aces. With support from local coaches, the young athletes participated in drills and scrimmages. The team also donated hockey equipment to support the growth of girls’ hockey in Northern Nevada.
Following the Northern Nevada run the Knights regrouped to head over to Arizona, and although it was a different place the mission remained the same.
This is how we do it at Ice Den Scottsdale!!!🏒#VGKRoadTrip | @EngosHeroes | @A1GarageDoorspic.twitter.com/v1jYV0mPhF
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) July 16, 2025
Former Vegas alternate captain Deryk Engelland joined the team to skate with over 150 young players. With drills and games underway on the ice, off the ice families enjoyed giveaways like trading cards, sunglasses, bracelets, and the 2024–25 VGK Yearbook.
We had so much fun continuing to grow the game in the Phoenix community with a ball hockey clinic at Sunnyslope Community Center🏒#VGKRoadTrip | @VGKFoundation | @LosVGK | @A1GarageDoorspic.twitter.com/1EtiLmkO3e
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) July 16, 2025
The Knights Foundation also hosted a ball hockey clinic at Sunnyslope Community Center, where Engelland, D’Uva, and Hudspeth led kids through skills training and answered questions from young fans eager to learn more about the game.
Later, the team headed to Ice Den Scottsdale, where 140 kids took part in three more on-ice clinics. Goucher and D’Uva hosted a Q&A with fans, offering a behind-the-scenes look at life as VGK broadcasters. One lucky attendee even won four tickets to a home game for the upcoming season.
We are rocking and rolling for today’s final on-ice clinics! Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) joined us in all the fun action! 😎🏒#VGKRoadTrip | @A1GarageDoorspic.twitter.com/EcZfZxsxhy
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) July 18, 2025
Amongst all the action a Spanish-language ball hockey clinic at the Chicanos Por La Causa Community Center, was hosted by LosVGK. The final stop on the trip brought the team to Mullett Arena, where they were joined by men’s and women’s hockey players from Arizona State University.
Thanks to all the Golden Knights fans who joined us on the 2025 VGK Road Trip!! 😃#VGKRoadTrip | @A1GarageDoorshttps://t.co/n2HNo4nQI3
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) July 18, 2025
This year marked the first time Arizona was included in the VGK Road Trip, and it proved successful. During the duration of the 2,127-mile trip more than 700 kids participated, further strengthening the future of hockey.
PHOTO COURTESY: Vegas Golden Knights
Rookie winger Isaac Howard could be the value play bettors are searching for if he sticks on Edmonton’s top line with Connor McDavid.
As the NHL season approaches, bettors looking for value in player props should keep an eye on a potential breakout rookie flying under the radar: Isaac Howard of the Edmonton Oilers. While Calder Trophy futures are being dominated by names like Montreal’s Ivan Demidov, Howard could be a dark horse worth monitoring at +1500 in several betting markets.
Originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning, the 21-year-old Wisconsin native was traded to Edmonton, where his path to NHL ice time has become much clearer. The Oilers, fresh off consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances, appear ready to give Howard a real shot and the early depth charts are proof.
Oilers' Howard, Blues' Snuggerud Present Closest Competition to Demidov For CalderRookies Isaac Howard and Jimmy Snuggerud appear to be best cases behind Montreal's Ivan Demidov for 2026 Calder trophy
According to early reports, Howard is slotted on Edmonton’s top line alongside Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman, two of the most productive forwards in the league. That alone makes him intriguing in goal and point prop markets.
Howard is also reportedly set to skate on the second power-play unit, increasing his high-danger chances. With McDavid commanding so much defensive attention, Howard could benefit with clean looks and tap-in chances which could be an ideal scenario for goal scorer props.
Howard showed clear development over his three collegiate seasons. After a modest freshman year at Minnesota-Duluth (17 points in 35 games), he transferred to Michigan State, where his offensive game exploded. Last season, he posted 26 goals and 26 assists in 37 games, earning a nod with Team USA at the IIHF World Championships.
If you're looking to model Howard’s rookie year performance, think along the lines of Frank Vatrano or Elias Lindholm from last season in terms of production floor. But if everything clicks, especially with McDavid as a linemate, he could reach 50–60 points, much like Dylan Guenther’s breakout year in Utah. Howard will look to be a solid best bet to get a point through the season for the Oilers as his odds most games will likely hover anywhere from -125 to -190 as a decent syphon off of McDavid's point production.
NHL Division Odds Breakdown: Panthers, Hurricanes, and Golden Knights Lead the PackSportsbooks release betting odds for NHL divisional races for 2025-26 season.