CHICAGO - Rookie camp is in the books for the Chicago Blackhawks. A full roster of prospects came to Chicago to prepare ahead of the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase. This event features the Chicago Blackhawks alongside the hosting Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues. 

Before traveling to Minnesota, the Blackhawks prospects had one final practice on Saturday morning for any fine-tuning ahead of the showcase. 

Throughout the week, there were a lot of noteworthy moments from players on the roster looking to get noticed by the decision makers at the top of the organization. Of every player on the prospect roster, these five stood out above the rest: 

AJ Spellacy

There wasn't a more noticeable player during the rookie camp than AJ Spellacy. He had a mediocre year in terms of production last year in the OHL, but he has the tools to be an impactful NHL player, whether he is scoring or not. 

Spellacy was not afraid to mix it up during camp, even though he was going against players who were on the same team as him. When he is competing, he is giving it his all, no matter what. 

"I think you need to have high intensity and stuff like this. It just brings everyone together. Even when you're battling against a guy, you get off the ice and you're best buddies."

Spellacy was noticeable during the preseason last year before being shipped back to the OHL, and now he is looking to take his game to the pro level one way or another. 

Sam Rinzel

It would be fair to leave off anyone who played in the NHL last season, which would apply to guys like Artyom Levshunov, Ryan Greene, Oliver Moore, and Sam Rinzel. However, Rinzel was too noticeable during camp to ignore.

He is a step above his peers around his age. Whether they are working on the power play units, even strength play, or killing penalties, he is an impact player.

This is a highly drafted, incredibly gifted player who still believes that he has to earn a spot on the team. After the way he ended last year and is starting camp, he feels like a lock to make the NHL roster. The fact that he feels he still needs to earn it tells you that the compete-level is there for him to be better than great. 

Rinzel's impact during camp suggests that he will make a difference during the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase, which will prepare him even further for training camp and the regular season ahead. 

Nick Lardis

Nick Lardis scored 71 goals in the OHL last season. Then he showed up to rookie camp this week and looked like one of the top snipers in the organization. As he prepared for the showcase in Minnesota, Lardis was a standout player. 

It is expected that Lardis will play with Marek Vanacker and Oliver Moore, which is the team's number one forward line. Vanacker and Moore are former first-round picks with great playmaking ability, and Lardis earned the right to play with them as the primary sniper on the line. 

"It's good. We built some chemistry over the past couple of days. It's a fast line. Those two guys are really fast. We just have to use our speed to our advantage. Our skill and playmaking will take over." 

Of every line that the Blackhawks are going to run out there, this one will be the highest octane with the most speed and skill. Expect them to follow up a big week of practice with big performances in the games, led by Nick Lardis. 

Nathan Behm

The Chicago Blackhawks selected Nathan Behm with their third-round (66th overall) pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. So far, he has made that look like a sensational pick. He was one of their most noticeable players throughout the week, and now he will be a big part of their lineup in the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase. 

Behm is a big player who used his size to bring physicality and skill to the group. While playing on a line with Spellacy and Martin Misiak, he scored goals during scrimmages, set up his linemates, and was hard to play against from a physical standpoint. 

You don't see big players who are as skilled or as fast as Behm come through as often. He believed that he had a good camp, based on his comments to the media following practices, and that confidence could be what he needed to continue improving his game going into 2025-26. 

Marek Vanacker

Marek Vanacker was already mentioned when talking about Nick Lardis, because they will be linemates alongside Oliver Moore. 

Vanacker, who wasn't able to participate in the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase last year because of an injury, showed up in a big way this time around. There were multiple instances where he drove play on that speedy line. 

The former first-round pick is going to be a net-front presence/down low forward on the power play as well, so his impact should be felt in the games as much as it was during practice. The former first-round pick has a ton of talent and is expected to be a difference-maker going forward. 

The Blackhawks will begin the showcase on Saturday night against the St. Louis Blues at 6 PM. On Sunday, they will take on the Minnesota Wild at 3 PM. 

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