TOM KURVERS PROSPECT SHOWCASE PREVIEW
Sep 16, 2022CHICAGO – While the NHL regular season is still a month away, hockey will be in full swing Friday night at Fifth Third Arena in Chicago where the Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks prospects face off in the first game of the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase at 7 p.m. The teams will square off again on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 1 p.m. to complete the two-game showcase.
The Showcase features six players who saw significant playing time in Iowa during the 2021-22 season along with several notable up-and-coming players.
Iowa Wild Alumni
Adam Beckman – A third round pick (#75 overall) in 2019, Beckman made his professional debut for Iowa in the later stages of the 2019-20 season. In his first full pro season, the forward posted 34 points (11-23=34) in 68 games in 2021-22. Beckman also earned NHL time with the Minnesota Wild last season, picking up an assist in three games played. Prior to joining the Wild organization, Beckman received the Bob Clarke Trophy as the leading scorer in the WHL during the 2019-20 season after tallying 107 points (48-59=107).
Vladislav Firstov – The 2021-22 season was Firstov’s final year at the University of Connecticut, where he tied his career high with 23 points and recorded a personal best in goals (12-11=23). Firstov made his professional debut with Iowa last year and appeared in eight games with the club, where he tallied two assists. The Minnesota Wild drafted Firstov in the second round (#42 overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
Damien Giroux – Giroux enters Friday’s contest with significant professional playing time under his belt. The Sudbury, Ont. native has skated in 82 games with the Iowa Wild across the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. Giroux was drafted by Minnesota in the fifth round (#155 overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
Hunter Jones – Over the course of the last two seasons, Jones has appeared in 28 games for the Iowa Wild. The Brantford, Ont. native posted a 3.53 GAA and 0.866 save percentage across those games. Jones was selected in the second round (#59 overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
Marco Rossi – Rossi led the way offensively for the Iowa Wild in his first professional season. He set an Iowa single-season rookie point record with 53 points (18-35=53), which tied him for the team lead in scoring. The ninth overall pick in the 2020 draft also made his NHL debut during his rookie campaign, playing in two games with the Minnesota Wild. Rossi capped a prolific junior career in 2019-20 with the Ottawa 67’s, leading the OHL in points (39-81=120) and taking home the league’s most valuable player honors.
Nick Swaney – Swaney factored heavily into Iowa’s offense last season, as he racked up 38 points (16-22=38) in 62 games. He was drafted in the seventh round (#209) in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and played college hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Swaney won back-to-back national championships in 2017-18 and 2018-19, and was also named to the NCHC First All-Star Team in 2020-21.
Iowa Wild hockey is presented by MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center. For more information, please visit www.iowawild.com. Fans can purchase single-game tickets through the team’s website at www.iowawild.com. Group tickets (10 or more), suites, Wild 365 memberships or premium tickets can be purchased by contacting the Iowa Wild Ticket Department at 515-564-8700 or tickets@iowawild.com. The 2022-23 season marks the 10th anniversary of Iowa Wild hockey. Fans can purchase season tickets for the 10th anniversary season at https://www.iowawild.com/wild-365.