BLOG: Blackhawks 2023 Draft Class Surprises Boys and Girls Club Members

When members of the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago entered the gymnasium of the James R. Jordan location on Wednesday evening, they received a special surprise from the Chicago Blackhawks.

The group joined the Chicago Blackhawks 2023 Draft Class that featured players like Adam Gajan, Martin Misiak, Connor Bedards and many others to participate in a mini ball hockey tournament. To see the reaction on the children's faces is what stuck out most to the first overall selection in the 2023 NHL Draft during the Blackhawks development camp.

"I like the clinic we did with the kids," Bedard said. "We played floor hockey and got to talk to them and see their excitement when we came it was pretty cool."

Students swarmed around the players and divided up into teams to kick off the evening event and took the opportunity to ask the prospects questions during their games.

Director of Core Programs for the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago, Raul Rodriguez, noted that the Blackhawks foundations has help create new strides for their ball hockey program. From providing hockey sticks to helping with the coaching language, moments like this helps create new memories for their members.

"The Blackhawks Foundation has been very generous with the support by eliminating barriers that our members have," Rodriguez said. "So, like providing the sticks, the goals and a lot of that stuff that our kids can't afford. [They also help us] with our coaching so that they can translate that to our players has been very helpful."

During the evening, the Blackhawks 2023 Draft Class and Rockford IceHogs head coach Anders Sorensen took part in a series of hockey drills and games before taking part in a mini ball hockey tournament.

For Nick Lardis, this opportunity allowed the group to participate in a different activity during the team's development camp.

"It's cool, to come to Chicago with all the guys here to the development camp and then come here to the school and give back to the kids and have a good time," Lardis said. "It's a lot of fun."

As for Alex Pharand, being able to interact with the kids, teach them new skills and see their reactions whenever they score a goal stuck out the most to him during the experience.

"It was a lot of fun just seeing all the all the kids and playing with them," Pharand said. "I think they really liked it, and It was a lot of fun just trying to give back [to the community]."

Rodriguez stated that not only could they learn from the players during this experience but also gain new role models. This opportunity allowed a new hope for members to see what the future could be not only for the Blackhawks but for their members as well.

"We always try to provide hope for our members," Rodriguez said. "Having the players be here, we always try to provide role models for our members, so that hopefully, they can see themselves in that role in the future."