ROCKFORD — Things were quiet for the Western Conference to start the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic Skills Competition on Tuesday. The first of seven events was the puck-control relay, in which each player had to maneuver the puck through multiple cones.
The Eastern Conference gained the first three points of the event, thanks in part to Rockford IceHogs captain Brett Seney’s contact with a cameraman. The West’s last hope of the round, Nick Lardis, skated out.
The left winger — who was reassigned to Rockford on Jan. 26 after playing 21 games with the Chicago Blackhawks this season — completed the drill with ease. He glided through the cones and finished before his opponent, earning the West’s first point.
The crowd didn’t hide its support for the IceHogs All-Stars, as Lardis received the ovation that mirrored his NHL debut at the United Center. His first All-Star experience was a thumbs-up.
“It’s been really cool,” Lardis said. “To kind of walk over to the guys, meet a lot of guys that you don’t really get to play over the year here in the (AHL), it’s good to meet those guys and compete with them a little bit out here and have some fun.”
The 20-year-old earned his first AHL All-Star nod after racking up 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) in 28 games with the IceHogs. The one-point-per-game average comes one year after his 117-point season in the OHL with the Brantford Bulldogs.
He had his highlights with the Hawks, including a game-winning shootout goal against the Stars on Dec. 27 in Dallas. When he was reassigned to Rockford, the Hawks were in an offensive drought, which continued in a shutout road loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets in their last game before the Olympic break.
Despite the demotion, Lardis learned a ton in his time with the Hawks — namely being poised against the greater talent in the NHL.
“I think just implementing hard skill in a way, using my strengths, which is my shot, skill and speed,” Lardis said. “At the same time, teams are so good up there, physically and structured, and all their systems are really good.
“It’s just making sure that you’re playing with a lot of hard skill, and being a good two-way player is huge.”
Lardis performed well with the Hawks. The day a permanent call-up comes, he vows to be ready.
“Got the experience at both levels, and it’s been unbelievable to learn from this league and gain a lot of confidence and trust from my coaches,” Lardis said. “And then (to) get that call-up to the NHL for a little bit of time, that was unbelievable too.
“Learned a lot there, learned from the players and the coaches too. So (I’m) trying to use that information and bring it down here again and grow my game even more so when I do get that next opportunity, I’m ready to go.”
Lardis also participated in the accuracy-shooting event Tuesday, in which four targets were placed on the corners of the net and the All-Stars had to hit them in the fewest amount of shots. He was nearly perfect, going 4-for-5.
Defenseman Kevin Korchinski made sure to give his teammate some tough love for the single miss. But Lardis was gunning for a bigger prize.
Korchinski was the MVP of last year’s AHL All-Star Challenge after finishing with four points (one goal, three assists). He was back representing the Central Division for the round-robin tournament Wednesday night at the BMO Center, as were two of his IceHogs teammates, Lardis and Seney.
Lardis and Seney each had three points in the four games Wednesday, but Pacific Division beat the Central 3-1 in the final. Colorado Eagles forward Jayson Megna was named the MVP after totaling four goals and three assists for the Pacific.
After the skills challenge Tuesday night, the three IceHogs made sure to sign autographs and offer their appreciation to their fans.
“I signed a lot of stuff, but I love to do it, I love to interact with the fans here,” Korchinski said. “They’re so passionate. They’re the reason why we play the sport.”
The crowd returned the love to the back-to-back All-Star defenseman, politely ignoring his name being misspelled on the video board. The No. 7 pick of the 2022 draft has 23 points (two goals, 21 assists) in 43 games with the IceHogs this season.
Korchinski’s Hawks stint this season was much shorter than Lardis’, lasting just two games (one assist) with an average ice time of 13:59. He still feels pretty satisfied with his game compared with last season.
“Playing a different role, trying to get asked to play different styles in different scenarios and just being able to be more versatile … whatever they want me to do to help the team win, that’s what I’m trying to do right now,” Korchinski, 21, said. “I think I played a lot better the second game (with the Hawks). It’s always a privilege getting called up and getting (the) opportunity.”
Like Lardis, Korchinksi wants to prove himself at the next level come his next recall. He has 94 NHL games under his belt, but he’s looking to skate in plenty more.
“When you get that taste in your mouth, you want the stay to last and you want to stay up there as long as you can,” Korchinski said. “Getting that opportunity to play your game up there, it’s awesome and you want to be playing there the whole year.
“Whenever the opportunity arises, you just got to make the most of it and do whatever you can to stay there and help the team win and be the best version of yourself. You got to be patient, I think as defenseman, it’s hard to be in the NHL, it’s a hard job.”