TAMPA, Fla. — The Blackhawks‘ falling out with former forward prospect Dominic James will come full circle Thursday.
James will make his NHL debut with the Lightning, the team with which he eventually signed in September, and against the Hawks, the team who drafted him in the sixth round in 2022 and whose contract offer he declined in the spring.
Asked Thursday morning why he spurned the Hawks, James called it a “personal decision.”
“You look into the future and [decide] whether you feel confident in yourself,” he added. “Betting on myself was something I was comfortable doing.”
Reading between the lines, the Hawks’ unwillingness to burn the first year of James’ entry-level contract to let him jump into the NHL right away in March — when his senior year at Minnesota-Duluth ended — was likely a factor. They were willing to do that for forward prospects Oliver Moore (Minnesota) and Ryan Greene (Boston University).
The overall size and strength of the Hawks’ prospect pool was another likely factor. The Lightning, on the other hand, have one of the league’s weakest pools, creating less competition for depth NHL spots.
“That’s got a lot to do with it,” James said. “Looking at my future and looking at the opportunity to jump right into the NHL… or to see a path for myself was huge. [Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois] made me feel confident in that.”
Hawks GM Kyle Davidson said in April that he offered James a “pretty damn good opportunity” but harbored no “ill will” toward him.
Hawks defenseman Wyatt Kaiser, who played with James in Duluth in 2022-23, texted his former teammate when he heard about the call-up Wednesday. Kaiser said he understood James’ decision.
“It’s just hard, right?” Kaiser said. “We have so many forward prospects in the system. I think he felt maybe he would get buried a little bit.”
Hagel, too
Thursday will also mark former Hawks forward Brandon Hagel’s eighth career game against the Hawks since getting traded to the Lightning in 2022.
It’s amazing to realize it has been that long. But Hagel — who has blossomed in Tampa, racking up 90 points last season — insisted there’s still something extra special to him about the matchup.
“I always say Chicago gave me a chance to play in the best league in the world,” Hagel said. “I’ll never not be grateful. I was treated with nothing but respect over there. The equipment guys, I will say hi to. Kyle [Davidson] himself, I’ll still say hi to him after a game and see how his family and stuff is. He always approaches me. There’s never [been any] hard feelings, leaving there.”
The Hawks-Lightning crossover storylines don’t end with the players, either. Thursday also marked Hawks coach Jeff Blashill’s first game back in Tampa, where he served as an assistant for the last three seasons and where his family still lives.
Notes
Hawks forward Andre Burakovsky will miss Thursday’s game following the birth of his second child on Monday. Jason Dickinson, who is battling a shoulder injury, has been a partial practice participant lately but also won’t dress.
Hawks forward prospect Paul Ludwinski, a 2022 second-round pick, has had a rough time since turning pro. He produced only 12 points in 65 AHL games in Rockford last season, and now he’ll miss the remainder of this season after suffering a serious knee injury last weekend.
