For the first time in franchise history, the Seattle Thunderbirds will compete in the Memorial Cup Championship after a 4-1 win over the Peterborough Petes on Friday night.

While the Blackhawks development staff didn't know what to expect from the prospects going into this season, Blackhawks Assistant General Manager of Player Development Mark Eaton noted that this year's group exceeded expectations with how they played the game and their work off the ice as well. 

Whether they have been in the system for two-plus years or were just drafted last season, every player showcased their developmental growth. 

"I don't think you could look at any one player from this year's class and say that they had an off year," Eaton said. "For us on the development staff, [we didn't know] a lot about them going into the season. I think we were pleasantly surprised with every single guy that we drafted." 
 

CHICAGO - The Chicago Sports Alliance (CSA), a collaboration between the Chicago Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs and White Sox established in December 2017, announced the continuation of its effort to lend financial support and team resources to local, evidence-based solutions to gun violence. 
 
As part of its ongoing efforts, the Alliance and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation will provide a total of $1.5 million in grants to support five impactful programs and organizations that are directly addressing the issue of gun violence in Chicago.
 

With the highly coveted first overall draft pick for just the second time in franchise history, the Chicago Blackhawks invite fans to attend free special events in Chicago and Nashville on Wednesday, June 28 as round one of the 2023 NHL Draft takes place. Blackhawks Draft coverage, presented by United Airlines, will also be available across Blackhawks.com, the official Blackhawks mobile app and the team's social media channels.  

"The Chicago Blackhawks are thrilled to invite our fans to join us in this historic celebration," said Danny Wirtz, CEO of the Chicago Blackhawks. "From the Salt Shed in Chicago to the vibrant Skydeck atmosphere at Assembly Food Hall in Nashville, we are bringing the excitement and Blackhawks experience to our incredible fanbase, as we celebrate the first overall draft pick and our new 2023 draft class. This is a night filled with anticipation, entertainment and the shared passion that will unite Blackhawks fans around the world as we move closer to building the next great era of the Chicago Blackhawks." 

Three Blackhawks prospects and the Seattle Thunderbirds advanced to the semifinal round of the Memorial Cup tournament on Wednesday night. The WHL champions defeated the Kamloops Blazers with a 6-1 final. 

This is the first time in the team's history that they have won two games in the Memorial Cup tournament since they appeared in 2017 (0-3) and in 1992 (1-3). 
 

Following his season in the USHL, Blackhawks prospect Sam Rinzel looks to make an impact with the University of Minnesota this fall as he enters his freshman season.

Before making the jump to the NCAA, the 6-foot-4 defenseman wanted to focus on the growth of his overall game, and returned to Waterloo in the USHL last year. Looking back, he saw the progression that he wanted to help his defensive game, but on offense as well. 

"I was able to really see growth in my game, especially my defensive game," Rinzel said. "It was a big reason why [I went back to the] USHL and to be able to kind of work on that part of my game. While being able to play a two-way game is what I want to be able to do in the future." 

After starting the Memorial Cup tournament with a strong victory, the Seattle Thunderbirds couldn't keep with the Quebec Remparts as they fell, 3-1. 

In the first game of the Memorial Cup tournament, the Seattle Thunderbirds came out on top with a 6-3 victory over the Peterborough Petes on Saturday night. They now lead the tournament at 1-0-0-0.

In his first professional season down in Rockford, defenseman Alex Vlasic began to find his game and gained a new sense of how he can add to the team's blueline down the road.

Following some discussions with the coaching staff and his IceHogs debut, Vlasic wanted to focus on challenging himself more outside of his comfort level whether it was skating with the puck more or playing a more offensive game. As he continued to gain more ice time and excel outside of his comfort zone, he felt an added boost of confidence to his playing style. 

"At first going down, [I wanted to keep] playing my game that I'm pretty comfortable with as more of a defensive role," Vlasic said. "I think around halfway through the year was kind of turning point for me where I started to have that next level of confidence and just be able to take a game into my control and play defensively and offensively equally the same."

Finishing up his freshman year at Boston University, Ryan Greene proved that he could adjust to new systems and a higher level, making the jump from the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL to the Terriers this past season. 

Coming into the year, Greene didn't know what to expect standing on the ice with new teammates and a completely new system. But as he continued to play through his first season, he began to find his role on the team to showcase his skills as the team's second line center. 

"To be honest, this season was more than what I ever thought it was going to be like and it was honestly amazing," Greene said. "I found a role for myself there and kind of just played each game. I felt like I was getting more and more comfortable and then, I think I just continued to get better each game throughout the year."