The first Monday of August was a rather newsworthy day. A former Chicago Blackhawks head coach got a new job, while a former goaltender called it a career. We’ve got prospect updates, AHL signings, and a future NHL star signing his first contract. Enjoy your Tuesday Chirps!

Blackhawks Chirps

We’ve made it to the top 10 in our Blackhawks Prospects Rankings & Reviews. We’ll have our top five prospects later this week.

Speaking of prospects, Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff made his roster projection for Team Canada following last week’s World Junior Summer Showcase. He has Sacha Boisvert on the final roster, but a lot can change between now and December.

The Athletic’s Scott Powers revealed why 2025 first-round pick Anton Frondell is playing in Sweden this season instead of trying to make the NHL roster.

Former Blackhawks interim head coach and assistant coach Derek King is the new head coach of the AHL’s Hershey Bears. He was brought in because the Washington Capitals will have more prospects in Hershey this season, and they wanted someone with a proven track record of working with younger players. King was one of my favorite coaches I’ve covered. I covered nearly every one of his home games as Rockford IceHogs head coach. He was the interim Blackhawks coach when I joined the beat late in the 2021-22 season. I sat in the back of the media during his post-practice presser. After he was done at the podium, he walked back to me to say hello and welcome me. Those are the type of things that will always stick with me. Best of luck, Kinger!

Staying in Rockford, the IceHogs signed defenseman Tyson Feist to a one-year AHL contract. He played 57 ECHL games with the Orlando Solar Bears last season and six AHL games with the Syracuse Crunch. He has 44 career AHL games with the Crunch and Chicago Wolves, scoring one goal and eight points.

On this date in 2020, the Blackhawks took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five Qualifying Round series versus the Edmonton Oilers with a 4-3 victory in Game 3. Olli Maatta and Jonathan Toews scored in the first period, but they trailed 3-2, heading into the final frame, thanks to two goals by Leon Draisaitl and one by Connor McDavid. Matthew Highmore’s first career playoff goal tied the game late in the third period before Toews’s second tally of the game put the Blackhawks ahead with 1:16 left in regulation. Corey Crawford made 25 saves in the win.

Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, August 5: Cy Thomas, Jack Norris, Mark Bell, Dale Weise, and Anders Bjork

NHL Chirps

What a moment. 💙🧡

20 kids who have lost a parent were invited to meet Matthew Schaefer and were tasked with a big assignment, to give Schaefer his first NHL contract to sign. pic.twitter.com/KwYUw4rg4v

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) August 4, 2025

Dallas Stars top defenseman Miro Heiskanen will be ready for the start of training camp, as he told NHL Finland’s Varpu Sihvonen.

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk will be on the cover of NHL 26.

Former Blackhawks and IceHogs goaltender Anton Khudobin announced his retirement at the age of 39. He won 114 NHL games with the Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Stars, and Blackhawks. His best season came in 2019-20, when he helped Dallas reach the Stanley Cup Final.

Two other former IceHogs, Alex Nylander and Brandon Baddock, have signed one-year AHL deals with the Toronto Marlies.

The Seattle Kraken have hired Ryan Jankowski as an assistant general manager. He will likely head their scouting department, as he’s been a long-time NHL scout. He is also the uncle of Hurricanes forward Mark Jankowski.

NHL Birthday Roll Call, August 5: Anton Stastny, Jeff Friesen, Jamie McGinn, and Tye Felhaber.