Back in the fall, Ethan Del Mastro seemed to be lagging behind other young defensemen in the Blackhawks‘ system.
Del Mastro’s subpar performance at Hawks training camp disrupted his momentum after an impressive first pro season in 2023-24, during which he was Rockford’s lone representative at the AHL All-Star Game.
Back in Rockford to begin 2024-25, Del Mastro was displaced from the first pairing and power-play units by Artyom Levshunov and Kevin Korchinski, forcing him to settle into a lesser role. At the same time, his close friend and former defensive partner, Nolan Allan, was establishing himself as an NHL regular ahead of schedule.
“I would love to get down to a Hawks game and watch [Nolan] in person, but it’s been fun to watch and see him live out his dream,” Del Mastro said Nov. 19 in Rockford.
Four months later, things have tilted dramatically back in Del Mastro’s favor, rewarding him for his patience. He will make his 19th NHL appearance of the season Saturday against the Blues, having spent the majority of the time since his initial call-up Jan. 23 to the Hawks’ roster.
He has averaged nearly 18 minutes of ice time per game, including more than 20 minutes in March — mostly on the second pairing with veteran Connor Murphy. They’ve become Hawks interim coach Anders Sorensen’s most trusted shutdown duo.
“I’m feeling more confident and comfortable every game,” Del Mastro said Friday. “Playing with Murphy has been really helpful. We’re both bigger guys, and we like to defend hard. So that’s beneficial, having a guy that’s been here, done that and can teach me.”
Said Sorensen: “They get quick stops, and they don’t spend over-extended time in [the defensive zone] usually. [Being] big bodies that can get stops is the biggest thing. And offensively, they’ve done some good things, as well.”
Ethan Del Mastro’s first career NHL goal! 👏 pic.twitter.com/rZI5F5a0CE
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 28, 2025
Allan, meanwhile, lost his regular role in the Hawks’ lineup in late January — his analytics had become some of the worst in the league — and was sent to Rockford in late February.
Since Del Mastro’s call-up, he has the second-best five-on-five scoring-chance ratio among Hawks defensemen at 46.6%, behind only T.J. Brodie (who has been continuously scratched for weeks).
That ratio is still in the red, and any positive micro trends within the Hawks right now are dampened by the fact the team has been so bad overall.
But blame for their ongoing six-game losing streak should objectively fall more on the forward corps, who haven’t scored much, have generated even fewer scoring chances and also have struggled mightily with neutral-zone turnovers, transition sorting and defensive coverage. The Hawks’ defensive corps, despite their youth and inexperience, have been all right most nights.
Del Mastro’s 6-4, 210-pound frame is an asset he uses intelligently. He doesn’t dish out big hits simply to rile up crowds; he instead makes tactical hits to separate opposing forwards from the puck along the boards.
Hawks coaches have talked to him about the importance of maintaining good positioning and staying on the inside of the defensive zone until picking the right moments to be aggressive.
He keeps his head up and moves the puck fairly well for a guy of his mold, too. His scored his first NHL goal Feb. 27 in Las Vegas with a ripped shot.
“His ability with the puck, his vision and his skating ability, it’s definitely better than my younger self,” Murphy said. “But his willingness to work and grow his defensive game, [and him] wanting to be out there in big moments against good players, are things I relate to.”
Del Mastro’s substantial development this season has re-established him as a potential long-term piece of the Hawks’ post-rebuild defensive depth chart, although the hierarchy will likely continue shifting as the youth movement progresses.