The Latest Breaking News from Seth Jones

Athanasiou has been bumped up to Lukas Reichel’s line after slowly recovering from an illness. Plus, other notes on Cole Guttman and Connor Bedard.

The fact Bedard’s NHL debut Tuesday didn’t take place in Chicago didn’t prevent some Hawks fans from traveling to Pittsburgh to see it for themselves.

Even at age 38, Perry remains effective in the dirty areas, thanks to his ability to get his stick on every puck. Given his rebounding skill, the Hawks are emphasizing shooting early and often on power plays this season.

For young players like Connor Bedard who form the Hawks’ next generation — and who need to quickly accumulate as much NHL experience as possible — there’s actually a lot of anticipation for the preseason, which starts Thursday against the Blues.

With no primary captain this season, two longer-tenured defenseman and two new but experienced forwards will comprise the Hawks’ leadership group.

As the Hawks embrace the arduous journey back to contention, their veterans will be important in restoring the winning habits needed to return to relevance.

The presence of Connor Bedard and a number of other talented prospects lifted the mood at the first day of Hawks camp Thursday. Coach Luke Richardson said he hasn’t made any tweaks to his system yet, but he may eventually make some to accommodate the new personnel.

With Jonathan Toews moving on after 15 years as captain, the Hawks will rely on a group of alternate captains to provide leadership this season (instead of giving the title to either Seth Jones or Connor Murphy). The decision opens the door for Connor Bedard to potentially assume the role…

As slap shots decline in prevalence around the NHL, Jones has yet again shifted to a whippier stick better suited for wrist shots. That’s one of several interesting storylines from his 2023 offseason.

Kyle Davidson has argued that Kane and Toews’ presences were so enormous that they inadvertently prevented any young Hawks players from growing into leaders themselves.

Bedard jerseys are replacing Kane and Toews jerseys as the standard uniform of any Hawks fan — in Chicago and around the world. But behind that jersey is a down-to-earth 17-year-old kid who just happens to excel at hockey.