Chicago Blackhawks send several prominent names packing after latest roster cuts announcement

Teams are shaping up their rosters for the regular season. The process is fluid as General Managers make decisions weekly, whether or not prospects will stay or go. Some players are lucky to make the cut, while other players have been sent back to their respective junior or minor league clubs.

The Chicago Blackhawks have announced today that they will be cutting their roster by several players.

The latest round of cuts sees mostly AHL players attempting to make their best shot with PTO's to to find a home on the NHL roster.

The Blackhawks have sent Rockford IceHogs captain Brett Seney back to the team's affiliate AHL club. Seney was released from his professional tryout offer from the NHL club and was unable to make the cut.

Last season, Seney played 58 games for the IceHogs and scored 39 points (10-29).

Cavan Fitzgerald was assigned to the Rockford IceHogs, as his PTO with the Blackhawks has ended. The defenseman played 63 games for the team's minor-league affiliate in 2024-25 and scored 22 points (8-14).

Paul Ludwinski, a center who was drafted 39th overall in 2022, will be returning for another season of hockey in the AHL with the IceHogs. Last year, he played 65 games with the team and scored 12 points (7-5) in 65 games. It appears he may need more time to develop before he's NHL-ready.

Joining them will be defenseman Ryan Mast, who was acquired during the offseason in free agency, a former Providence Bruins defenseman, who was originally an 181st overall pick in 2021 by the Bruins.

Forward Taige Harding is another player who was cut from training camp, and he will be suiting up for the IceHogs for a full AHL season, after playing only 8 games last year for the minor-league team.

Lastly, Dmitry Kuzmin, was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets in trade for Isaak Phillips, will again be headed back to the minors.