The left winger \u2014 who was reassigned to Rockford on Jan. 26 after playing 21 games with the Chicago Blackhawks this season \u2014 completed the drill with ease. He glided through the cones and finished before his opponent, earning the West\u2019s first point.<\/p>\n
The crowd didn\u2019t hide its support for the IceHogs All-Stars, as Lardis received the ovation that mirrored his NHL debut at the United Center. His first All-Star experience was a thumbs-up.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been really cool,\u201d Lardis said. \u201cTo kind of walk over to the guys, meet a lot of guys that you don\u2019t really get to play over the year here in the (AHL), it\u2019s good to meet those guys and compete with them a little bit out here and have some fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 20-year-old earned his first AHL All-Star nod after racking up 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) in 28 games with the IceHogs. The one-point-per-game average comes one year after his 117-point season in the OHL with the Brantford Bulldogs.<\/p>\n
He had his highlights with the Hawks, including a\u00a0game-winning shootout goal<\/a> against the Stars on Dec. 27 in Dallas. When he was reassigned to Rockford, the Hawks were in an offensive drought, which continued in a shutout road loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets in their last game before the Olympic break<\/a>.<\/p>\n Despite the demotion, Lardis learned a ton in his time with the Hawks \u2014 namely being poised against the greater talent in the NHL.<\/p>\n \u201cI think just implementing hard skill in a way, using my strengths, which is my shot, skill and speed,\u201d Lardis said. \u201cAt the same time, teams are so good up there, physically and structured, and all their systems are really good.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just making sure that you\u2019re playing with a lot of hard skill, and being a good two-way player is huge.\u201d<\/p>\n Lardis performed well with the Hawks. The day a permanent call-up comes, he vows to be ready.<\/p>\n \u201cGot the experience at both levels, and it\u2019s been unbelievable to learn from this league and gain a lot of confidence and trust from my coaches,\u201d Lardis said. \u201cAnd then (to) get that call-up to the NHL for a little bit of time, that was unbelievable too.<\/p>\n \u201cLearned a lot there, learned from the players and the coaches too. So (I\u2019m) trying to use that information and bring it down here again and grow my game even more so when I do get that next opportunity, I\u2019m ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n Lardis also participated in the accuracy-shooting event Tuesday, in which four targets were placed on the corners of the net and the All-Stars had to hit them in the fewest amount of shots. He was nearly perfect, going 4-for-5.<\/p>\n Defenseman Kevin Korchinski made sure to give his teammate some tough love for the single miss. But Lardis was gunning for a bigger prize.<\/p>\n Korchinski was the MVP of last year\u2019s AHL All-Star Challenge after finishing with four points (one goal, three assists). He was back representing the Central Division for the round-robin tournament Wednesday night at the BMO Center, as were two of his IceHogs teammates, Lardis and Seney.<\/p>\n Lardis and Seney each had three points in the four games Wednesday, but Pacific Division beat the Central 3-1 in the final. Colorado Eagles forward Jayson Megna was named the MVP after totaling four goals and three assists for the Pacific.<\/p>\n After the skills challenge Tuesday night, the three IceHogs made sure to sign autographs and offer their appreciation to their fans.<\/p>\n \u201cI signed a lot of stuff, but I love to do it, I love to interact with the fans here,\u201d Korchinski said. \u201cThey\u2019re so passionate. They\u2019re the reason why we play the sport.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Chicago](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/CTC-L-blackhawks-sharks006_183529747.jpg\")
Blackhawks defenseman Kevin Korchinski takes a shot against the Sharks on Jan. 16, 2024, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n