Rockford IceHogs coach Anders Sorensen might have a better idea who’s going to the Chicago Blackhawks than who’s coming to Rockford.
As he helps preside over development camp at Fifth Third Arena, he was resigned to the fact several prospects — maybe Isaak Phillips. likely Alex Vlasic and almost certainly Lukas Reichel — could be making the jump from Rockford to Chicago for most of next season.
“Camp will determine that for sure, but I don’t see why not,” he said of Phillips and Vlasic.
Others in the pipeline are question marks. Some are committed to colleges or juniors, while others are in the gray area between AHL and NHL.
“You start looking at the depth chart (and) it’s exciting to see some of the guys who can trickle down to us,” Sorensen said.
But camp will settle that, too.
For this week, he and other coaches are getting to know the prospects as well as the new approach to camp, which has taken place more in the gym and the classroom than the ice.
“All the events they’ve been doing in terms of off-ice, boxing, workouts, to see how they’re handling the rigors of that has been real interesting.”
Two new wrinkles to camp have occupied the center of attention: boxing lessons and a comedy competition.
“I haven’t hit anyone in the face yet,” forward Frank Nazar said, “but it’s been pretty fun learning from some guys, to teach some punches. If I ever get in a fight, I know what I’m doing.”
Sorensen added: “I’ve seen (Hawks coach) Luke (Richardson) in there (boxing) and that’s pretty impressive. He’s got the gloves on — I’m not going close to him, I know that.”
Sorensen said it’s a good workout that teaches prospects how to protect themselves.
And if it’s not gut punches, it’s the gut-busters.
We’re going to go on stage and tell some jokes,” Korchinski.
Saturday, new draft pick Marcel Marcel said Samuel Savoie, his Gatineau Olympics teammate and camp buddy, was the funniest (and loudest) in the locker room, but on Monday, Savoie said it’s the other way around.
“He’s more funny with his accent and all, so I’d probably give it to him,” Savoie said.
“My money is on Samuel Savoie,” Korchinski said. “He’s in our group and he’s a really funny guy. He doesn’t have a filter. He won’t be nervous up there.”
Korchinski said the WHL Seattle Thunderbirds did something similar.
“Mine was, ‘What is Impostor Spaghetti?’ I said, ‘Impasta,’ he said of his jokes. “Not so good, so I’ll have to go on the internet and find some.”
It may play for laughs (or groans), but the standup, boxing, cooking class and other activities serve a purpose at camp.
“We can focus on developing as people, developing our habits, nutrition, off-ice working out,” Korchinski said. “Me, (Nolan) Allan and Dacher (Colton Dach), we just finished our season (in Seattle). We were on the ice so much that we’ve got to get stronger, prepare our bodies because it’s gonna be a long year next year.”.
Sorensen credited director of player development Mark Eaton and other staff.
“The schedule they put together is great for learning how to become a pro off the ice and what they’re going through,” he said.
Here’s at least one thing we learned about each of five prospects at camp Monday.
1. Kevin Korchinski wants to get bigger for possible bigger role.
Sorensen definitely noticed something different about Korchinski in the defenseman’s second development camp.
“He looks thicker. Starting to look like a man.”
Korchinski has ramped up his weight training — “I’ve definitely been in the gym, been putting on a bit of weight” — so when he gets to training camp, “I feel stronger and can battle with men.”
“Right now, I’m at 192, 193 (pounds). Honestly, where I want to get to is just whatever feels the best on the ice.”
He also changed his diet.
“What I’ve learned this camp and last camp is having more veggies so you have more energy throughout the day. And just trying to eat more whenever you can, whether it’s a snack between a skate and a workout, having more protein, having a shake in the morning before getting a good breakfast.”
It remains to be seen if Korchinski has grown enough physically — and mentally — to make the leap to the Hawks.
Richardson said Korchinski had a great season for the WHL champion Thunderbirds, but has to prove himself at the rookie and main camps to justify a roster spot.
“I don’t expect anything less from him,” Richardson said Saturday. “He’s a guy that’s got a high-end motor and goes.
“He can definitely skate in the league. We want to make sure that he’s going to be comfortable and able to defend and do everything else a defenseman has to do in this league to play.
“It’s kind of up in the air right now.”
2. Frank Nazar doesn’t want his development arrested again
Nazar sounded like he could’ve just ripped the lyrics from the collaboration between Kanye West and Daft Punk and posted them on his vision board: harder, better, faster, stronger.
The second-year prospect said his offseason goals are the same as they were last year.
“Get bigger, faster, stronger and more confident on the ice and be able to play my game and get a full season in, hopefully,” he said. “That’d be nice for me, just to get the games and the puck touches. That’s super big.”
An injury cost him the front half of his season at Michigan, but he rebounded after returning in February.
“I think I was able to do pretty well when I was able to come back for the playoffs,” he said. “It definitely helped the confidence side of it.”
He’s ready to put those kinds of issues behind him. And he’s got fellow Hawks prospect and Minnesota commit Oliver Moore in his crosshairs.
“Throwing a few chirps his way, letting him know I’m coming back next season and we’ll be coming for them,” Nazar said.
3. Gavin Hayes turned into a scoring machine.
Hayes said when he put on a little more weight — he’s 180 pounds now — his scoring ticked up. And when his scoring ticked up, his confidence grew. When his confidence grew, his scoring ballooned.
His points with the OHL Flint Firebirds shot up from 49 points in 2021-22 to 81 last season, an increase of 65%. He put up 41 goals and 40 assists in 66 games.
“When the puck was on my stick I felt good,” he said. “I didn’t want to pass up the puck a lot. I was obviously scoring a lot, so I felt confidence kept building up.”
Asked if he surprised himself, he said, “I guess, a little bit. I didn’t really set any goals. I just go out there and play. But the last 10 games I was on fire.”
Hayes had a hat trick and four two-goal games in that stretch.
4. Meet the calmer Sam Savoie.
Between last year’s camp scrimmages and exhibition games, it seemed like there wasn’t a head Savoie wouldn’t hunt. For that reason, he has drawn early comparisons to Andrew Shaw.
Savoie still wants to be physical, but he’s trying to be smart about it.
“I think I did a better job to just focus on relaxing and not retaliating,” he said.”
A cheap shot against a teammate could trigger Savoie because he’s “caring about the guy beside me and if he’s hurt, I don’t like to see him hurt.” But he learned to look at the bigger picture by deciding to “calm down and know that it’s better for the team if I don’t do anything … and go by the next shift and work my ass off.”
He also considers the example he’s setting.
“I was always a younger guy on my (QMJHL) teams, so I’ve had to be more of a leader. Get that respect from younger guys.”
5. Sam Rinzel has built-in backup at the college level.
After a season and a half with the USHL Waterloo Black Hawks, it’s time for the defensive prospect to move up the big-boy ice at the NCAA
Rinzel, last year’s No. 25 pick, will be roommates with Oliver Moore, this year’s No. 19 pick. Both are committed to Minnesota.
“It’s going to be a blast,” Rinzel said. “Me and Moore-sy became pretty good friends pretty quick, so it’s going to be great to room with him and go through everything. It’s going to be fun to mess with him a little bit.”
Last season with Waterloo, Rinzel said he learned defensive awareness. But next season with the Gophers he’s going to need something college can’t teach him: size.
“This summer is big for me going to Minnesota (to) put that weight on to make the transition to college hockey easier,” he said. “Still be fast and lean, but I think I’m on the right track for sure.”
To pack on that extra weight for next season, “it’s just finding that good nutrition plan … just making sure I’m eating enough.”
But not so much that he can’t keep up with Moore.
“He’s one of the fastest kids I’ve seen on skates, so he’s going to bring a ton of speed,” Rinzel said. “He’s just going to bring that dynamic of his speed and his playmaking. He’s going to be a force to be reckoned with.”
