LAS VEGAS — The Blackhawks completed their 2024 draft class Saturday, making five selections to join their three picks from Friday: defenseman Artyom Levshunov, center Sacha Boisvert and winger Marek Vanacker.
Because they already have so many prospects in the system, they felt comfortable taking some more raw players with longer development timelines.
As usual, elite skating speed was a common thread among the selections. Hawks scouting director Mike Doneghey quipped that he received “a few texts saying we’re trying to build the fastest team in the league.”
Notably, the Hawks didn’t draft a goalie. Doneghey said they considered one in the third round but ultimately opted not to take him, believing strongly in the quality of next year’s goalie prospect crop.
Pick No. 67: John Mustard, forward
Besides having a name that will fit perfectly in Chicago, Mustard is known as one of the best skaters in this draft, which also fits with the Hawks’ preferences. Doneghey said the Hawks were “a little bit shocked” he remained available at No. 67.
The 6-1 Ontario native had 56 points in 60 games with the USHL’s Waterloo Black Hawks — another funny coincidence — this past season. He’s heading to Providence for college and has experience playing center and wing (albeit more of the latter).
He plans to work on his defensive acumen and being harder on pucks moving forward.
“I’m a pretty dynamic forward,” Mustard said. “I like to play with a lot of speed and energy. I like to create plays.”
Pick No. 72: AJ Spellacy, forward
Spellacy played hockey and football up until he was 16. Doneghey called him a “freak athlete.”
He was a wide receiver and free safety who received offers from Iowa State and Toledo after only two years of high school. He opted to head to Canada to play for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires instead, but he plays hockey with the speed and physicality one would expect from a free safety.
“That comes from football, just having that mindset [of] being a killer out there,” Spellacy said. “[That] goes with wearing the other team down. If you play that hard, you get in their head. If they’re scared of you, they’re not going to do their best against you.”
As a Browns fan, his favorite football player is Nick Chubb. But his NHL role model is Capitals pest Tom Wilson, which indicates a lot about his playing style. He had 38 points in 67 games for Windsor last season while assigned to a role focused on defense and penalty-killing.
“[He] got a lot of his opportunity for offense through speed,” Doneghey said. “But he’ll get right in there around the crease in the board battles. That’s one of the things we like.”
Pick No. 92: Jack Pridham, forward
The Hawks traded their 2025 third-round pick to the Hurricanes to acquire this pick and draft Pridham, yet another speedy guy who described himself as a “skilled forward with good hockey sense.”
His father, Brandon, works in the Maple Leafs’ front office as a salary-cap guru, so Pridham is already quite familiar with the NHL. He was the runner for the Leafs’ table at the 2015 and 2018 drafts and is training this summer with the Leafs’ development staff.
He will return in 2024-25 to his BCHL club, West Kelowna, where he had 49 points in 54 games last season, before going to Boston University in 2025-26.
“I like to watch [Kings forward] Adrian Kempe and [Golden Knights forward] Jack Eichel,” Pridham said. “Obviously, I’m neither one of those players, but I think both of them have very strong assets in regard to skating and hockey sense.”
Pick No. 138: Joel Svensson, forward
In the fifth round, the Hawks continued loading up on forwards by taking Svensson, a 6-2 Swede in his second year of draft eligibility.
He had 33 points in 25 games for Vaxjo HC’s junior team last season and added one point in seven games with the big-league team. His sister, Hilda, is one of Sweden’s best women’s hockey players.
Pick No. 163: Ty Henry, defenseman
The Hawks completed their draft class in the sixth round by taking their second defenseman. The other defenseman they selected was Levshunov with the No. 2 pick.
Henry is a 6-4 left-shot D-man who had seven points in 54 games with the OHL’s Erie Otters last season. Doneghey described him as “more athlete than hockey player,” but there will be time for the latter aspect to develop.