Blackhawks Recall Ethan Del Mastro From Rockford After Connor Murphy Trade

Ethan Del Mastro is back in Chicago. The Blackhawks recalled the 6-foot-4 defenseman from AHL Rockford on March 4, 2026, a move ProHockeyRumors tied to the Connor Murphy trade and attributed to Blackhawks insider Charlie Roumeliotis. The team’s official release also noted forward Craig Smith was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Jan. 8.

Del Mastro’s profile is familiar: a fourth-round pick in the 2021 draft and described by ProHockeyRumors as “a nice find in the fourth round of the 2021 draft by Chicago, the Ontario native Del Mastro stands at 6’4” and has shown real two-way upside in the AHL.” The Blackhawks’ release records his NHL debut on April 12, 2024 vs. Nashville and includes the team’s summary line: “Del Mastro, 22, has appeared in eight games with the Blackhawks during the 2024-25 campaign, recording an assist on Jan. 26 vs. Minnesota for his first NHL point.”

Stat lines at the AHL level are messy across outlets. The Blackhawks release states Del Mastro “has also tallied eight assists in 42 games with the IceHogs this season. His eight assists rank third among all team blueliners, while his eight points share fourth.” The Rockford IceHogs’ own release, however, lists eight assists in 38 games. Syndicated coverage at The Hockey News offers a different ledger: “45 games… 18 points (2G, 16A),” ranking him second among Rockford defensemen in assists and points. Rotowire’s April 11, 2025 note echoes the 42-game, eight-assist figure but includes NHL totals from last season, so all three numbers are circulating.

NHL usage figures also conflict. The Blackhawks release credits Del Mastro with the Jan. 26 assist; The Athletic and Rotowire add that the helper was on Frank Nazar’s third-period tally and called it “Del Mastro's first NHL point in four appearances over the last two seasons.” By contrast, FoxSports’ Rotowire snapshot said he “logged two games with the Blackhawks this season… failed to register a point while averaging 18:35 of ice time.” ProHockeyRumors reports a mid-December recall in which Del Mastro “only got into one game, recording 15:07 of ice time in a loss at Toronto on December 16.” The numbers don’t align, and the differing game counts and ice-time claims are explicit in the source material.

What the recall changes on the roster is clearer. ProHockeyRumors projects Del Mastro as “among the Hawks’ more notable prospects, forecasting as a long-term solid third pairing defender,” and Rotowire/The Athletic expect him to “fill a bottom-four role” and “challenge T.J. Brodie and Nolan Allan for playing time.” FoxSports’ Rotowire notes that when Del Mastro returns to Rockford, veterans Nikita Zaitsev or Jaycob Megna are likely to rejoin the lineup.

This is a depth move with upside. Del Mastro’s AHL scoring rank behind Kevin Korchinski and his prior NHL stints — including 24 appearances last season with six points noted by ProHockeyRumors and Rotowire — make him a logical emergency call-up after the Murphy trade and Smith’s placement on IR. The precise stat lines will matter for how much he actually plays; for now the Blackhawks have added a 6’4” left-shot option who, per ProHockeyRumors, “figures to be the team’s top option to call upon if any injuries affect their blue line, and will continue his development in Rockford.”