One week after his recall from the Rockford IceHogs amid Connor Bedard's injury, Chicago Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis scored his first career NHL goal in a December 20 game against the Ottawa Senators in his home province of Ontario. The backhand shot, assisted by Alex Vlasic, pulled the Blackhawks within one while trailing 5-3.
During the tightly contested matchup, Lardis capitalized on a key play when Alex Vlasic kept the puck in the zone and redirected it to him. Catching the puck cleanly, Lardis fired a backhand past the Senators' goaltender, narrowing the score to 5-4 and energizing Chicago's comeback effort in the eventual close loss.
Lardis earned his NHL opportunity through standout play, leading AHL rookies in scoring with the IceHogs prior to the call-up. His scoring pedigree, including a dominant 71-goal OHL season last year, made the milestone feel imminent despite limited ice time.
Post-game, Lardis reflected, "It was a pretty special moment," allowing him to focus purely on contributing. The Blackhawks celebrated on social media with a video of the goal captioned: "if you need us we'll be watching this goal on repeat🤩."
With potential for increased minutes, Lardis' debut goal underscores his value as a promising sniper for the Blackhawks moving forward.