SUNRISE, Fla. — Spencer Knight is a thoughtful man, and as he rode the Blackhawks’ bus around familiar Fort Lauderdale-area streets Sunday, he lost himself in those thoughts.
“It’s funny to play against a team you were once on,” Knight said. “But I was thinking about it: Probably a thousand guys have done it before me, and there will be a thousand guys after me that do it. It’s part of being a pro.”
By the time the Panthers welcomed Knight back with a video tribute during the first TV timeout Tuesday, he was dialed in on the game at hand. He gave the crowd just a single wave.
Although his homecoming ended in a 3-2 defeat, the 24-year-old goalie gave the Hawks a fighting chance, saving 34 of 37 shots.
The game could’ve devolved into a blowout, either in the first period or during the final 10 minutes of the third as the Hawks threw men forward, if not for his efforts.
“He was our backbone tonight,” Frank Nazar said. “It wouldn’t have been that close without him. He made me want to work harder for him.”
Knight’s glove looked like a potential weakness during his 15-game Hawks cameo last spring, and he worked on improving it this summer. That work yielded dividends Tuesday; his glove was quick and on-point all night long.
New coach Jeff Blashill’s emphasis on less passive defense means the Hawks won’t collapse to the house as often, which will put more pressure on Knight this season to handle and save rebounds and also handle opposing players hanging around the crease.
Indeed, all three Panthers goals were scored within a few feet of the goal. But it was a good sign he was at least never beaten from distance.
Spencer Knight is keeping the Blackhawks in this game pic.twitter.com/kSZ877J9x0
— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) October 7, 2025
Lukas’ conundrum
Notably not in the Hawks’ lineup Tuesday was Lukas Reichel, a healthy scratch for the season opener for the second consecutive year.
The embattled former first-round pick eventually settled into a fourth-line role last season. It remains to be seen if he’ll get even that opportunity under Blashill this season.
“Part of what him and I have talked about is rounding his game out so he can be in position to play for that bottom-six role,” Blashill said. “It doesn’t mean that you’re going to … be a different player than you are. But it means you have to value the puck, you have to be very good defensively, you have to be more willing to chip it in at times and live another day. If there’s plays to be made, make them.”
General manager Kyle Davidson didn’t say much of interest Tuesday about the situation, but he did assert Reichel remains “here for a reason.” Swirling trade rumors haven’t come to fruition yet.
Rockford mafia
Hawks prospects Oliver Moore, Nolan Allan and Kevin Korchinski weren’t in Florida at all, having been sent to the AHL to start the season. Davidson acknowledged there are a “couple players” who are “very close” to the NHL.
“Our staff has done an effective job of making sure players understand the ‘why’ behind our decisions,” Davidson said.
Davidson also said he’s OK with Korchinski’s weight and strength following the offseason. Instead, he believes the young defenseman needs more time learning how to utilize his strength against even stronger opponents.
“I wouldn’t say [Kevin’s] physical makeup is behind the curve at this point,” Davidson said. “The weight is there. It’s just about gaining the experience with physicality in games. He’s going to get a ton of that exposure this year.”
