Some surprising news emerged after Saturday’s morning skate when the Blackhawks announced that defenseman Ian Mitchell was being sent up I-90 to Rockford to join the IceHogs in the AHL.
Along with Mitchell, fellow blue-liners Lucas Carlsson and Wyatt Kalynuk and forwards Reese Johnson and MacKenzie Entwistle were also re-assigned to Rockford. The Blackhawks’ taxi squad was reinforced with forwards Brandon Pirri and Mikael Hakkarainen and defenseman Alec Regula.
Ben Pope of the Sun-Times offered some insight into the moves beyond Mitchell’s demotion:
Carlsson, Kalynuk, Johnson and Entwistle also going to the AHL.