It’s the final Monday of July, which means just one more month with no hockey! The Chicago Blackhawks’ top star is working hard towards a breakout season. Meanwhile, a talented group of prospects has hit the ice with hopes of representing their countries at the World Junior Championship this winter.

Blackhawks Chirps

Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times caught up with Connor Bedard as he trains for the upcoming season. It’s no surprise that he can’t wait for the fall to get here. In addition to his excitement for the season, Bedard also shared some of the tweaks he made to his training this summer.

The World Junior Summer Showcase kicked off with a pair of exhibition games on Sunday. USA White beat Finland 5-2 with Nashville Predators prospect and Wilmette native Ryker Lee scoring two goals and adding an assist. A.J. Spellacy did not have a point in USA Blue’s 5-2 loss to Sweden. He centered the third line between Los Angeles Kings prospect Kristian Epperson and New Jersey Devils prospect Ben Kevan.

On this date in 2021, the Blackhawks signed forward Jujhar Khaira and defenseman Jake McCabe as the start of free agency was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, July 28: Alex Stalock.

NHL Chirps

The Buffalo Sabres signed defenseman Conor Timmins to a two-year, $4.4 million contract. He split last season between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins. The 26-year-old blueliner has six goals and 46 points in 159 NHL games with the Colorado Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes, Maple Leafs, and Penguins.

According to Sammi Silber of The Hockey News, Brynas IF of the Swedish Hockey League is holding a press conference today to announce the signing of Nicklas Backstrom. The 37-year-old center had hip resurfacing surgery in 2022, the same procedure Patrick Kane had in 2023. He played in only eight games during the 2023-24 season and missed all of last season. He scored 271 goals and 1,033 points in 1,105 NHL games with the Washington Capitals.

Czechia’s HC Kometa announced that veteran forward Peter Mueller is retiring after 18 professional seasons. He was drafted eighth overall by the Phoenix Coyotes at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He scored 63 goals and 160 points in 297 NHL games with the Coyotes, Avalanche, and Florida Panthers. Mueller played in Switzerland and Sweden between 2013 and 2016. He returned to North America for the 2016-17 season with the Providence Bruins in the AHL. He returned to Europe for eight more seasons, split between Austria, Czechia, and Germany.

NHL Birthday Roll Call, July 28: Charlie Hodge, Barry Ashee, Jim Korn, Garth Snow, Steve Staios, Aki Berg, Zach Parise, Lauri Korpikoski, Evan Rodrigues, Hudson Fasching, Noah Gregor, Sam Morton, and Philip Tomasino.