Blackhawks' new generation embracing challenge of conquering NHL together

SEATTLE — One year after Blackhawks forward Ryan Greene was actually in college, he feels as though he’s still there.

That’s because when Greene, who played at Boston University, looks around the Hawks’ locker room, he sees 16 players — including himself — 24 years old or younger.

Coach Jeff Blashill recently remarked his entire defensive corps could be playing in the NCAA Tournament, and he wasn’t joking. Wisconsin will dress a forward (25-year-old Simon Tassy) in the Frozen Four this week who is older than most Hawks.

‘‘[We’re] just a lot of young guys getting to hang out every day and do what we love,’’ Greene said. ‘‘With [Anton Frondell and Sacha Boisvert] coming in, we’re even more young, but it’s a good thing. I think this group is capable of a lot.’’

Around the room, all of the Hawks’ youngsters are saying the same thing: They’re having a blast beginning this challenge with each other.

The idea of climbing the mountain from base to summit and ultimately conquering the NHL is daunting. The knowledge that this, more or less, is the group being asked to do it is simultaneously stressful and exhilarating. But none of these players would have made it to this level without self-confidence.

‘‘We want that responsibility,’’ Greene said. ‘‘We want to be the ones that get it done.’’

Connor Bedard will have to lead the charge. The Hawks need him to become a superstar centerpiece to have any chance. Fortunately for them, he appears to be trending in that direction.

Bedard will need plenty of help, however, and that supporting cast is starting to come into focus. Not every youngster will pan out as a solid complementary player, but the Hawks need a decent percentage of them to do so.

One of their most established long-term pieces, defenseman Alex Vlasic, described the last month — the stretch since the trade deadline during which the kids fully have taken over — as the ‘‘most fun’’ he has had in the NHL so far.

‘‘We have a good mixture of guys who like to keep it light,’’ Vlasic said. ‘‘If we have a bad game as a team, we’re pretty good at flushing it and coming to the rink the next day with a good mindset, [knowing there’s] a new opportunity to attack that day.

‘‘It’s been such a blast to play with them and do it alongside them. It feels like we’re in a brotherhood here, all going through it together.’’

Other defensemen echoed similar thoughts.

‘‘It’s us,’’ Ethan Del Mastro said. ‘‘You’ve got to be able to do it with these guys because this is who we have and who’s here. It’s exciting, but it’s obviously a learning curve.’’

Said Wyatt Kaiser: ‘‘It creates that kind of team atmosphere where it’s like, ‘Hey, these are the guys we’ve got. We have to find a way to get it done.’ ’’

Goalie Spencer Knight watched firsthand as the Panthers conquered the league in 2024, which gives him a unique perspective about everything that awaits the Hawks.

He knows it’s important to maintain a vision of greatness. He also knows it’s crucial to embrace the grind it takes to get there.

‘‘That’s very much something we have to learn as a very young team: how to do this every single day,’’ Knight said. ‘‘You can’t go out, have a good game and [say], ‘Oh, that’s my good game of the week. We’ll figure out the rest somehow.’ It’s every single day. Everyone is going to have good and bad games, but it’s [about limiting] the deviation between those.’’

Knight said he is encouraged, however, by the Hawks’ attitude and work ethic.

‘‘Having good culture and good characters in the room will allow you to have buy-in from everyone,’’ he said. ‘‘When you have buy-in, the coaches can implement a system that allows you to play hockey that is hopefully — one day — meaningful.’’