Near the start of this 2023/24 NHL season, Craig Smith overtook Jason Blake as the Waterloo Black Hawks alumnus who had appeared in the second-most NHL games.  Now with just less than a month to go during the 2023/24 season, Smith is approaching Blake on another notable list.  Blake scored 213 regular season goals during his career.  Smith is currently at 210.

Blake was having some of his best NHL seasons at the same time Smith was skating in Waterloo.  In 2006/07, Blake scored 40 goals for the New York Islanders; Smith was a USHL rookie.  When the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Blake in 2007, NHL scouts were beginning to look at Smith as a 2008 NHL Draft prospect (Smith would actually be drafted in 2009).  At the USHL level in 2008/09, Smith produced 76 points; it was the highest-scoring season by a Black Hawk since Blake had 100 in 1993/94.

Smith arrived at the NHL with the Nashville Predators in 2011/12.  That was Blake's final campaign as he rounded out his career with the Anaheim Ducks.  Smith and Blake faced each other in exactly one NHL game on March 18, 2012…that's a dozen years ago this past Monday.  The Predators edged the Ducks 3-1 at the Honda Center.  The matchup didn't have any special hype, and when Smith eventually overtakes Blake on the all-time goals list (Blake is tied for 476th overall in NHL history) it won't make headlines.  Nonetheless, on a Sunday evening in March of 2012, two of the all-time best Black Hawks crossed paths on the ice, just as they are about to do again in the record books.
 
As the current season approaches the key late weeks, here's how 15 former Black Hawks have made their mark on hockey's top league in 2023/24:

Mikey Anderson – Los Angeles Kings
(Waterloo: 2015/16 – 2016/17)

A rare stretch out of the lineup cost Anderson eight games.  From an appearance on February 22nd against Nashville until his return on March 11th versus the New York Islanders, Anderson was sidelined with an upper body injury.  His minutes have been limited over the last six games; the 24-year-old has seen more than 20 minutes just twice.  His season average is nearly 21 per game.  Anderson did record an assist on Wednesday during a 6-0 win against the Minnesota Wild.  He now has 16 points (one goal, 15 assists) this season.

Brock Boeser – Vancouver Canucks
(Waterloo: 2014/15)

Although Boeser hasn't matched his career-bests in every statistical category, it would hard to argue that 2023/24 is anything but his best season in the NHL.  He is currently tied for 12th in the league with 36 goals.  Boeser's previous best goal count was 29 in 2017/18, his first full NHL campaign.  Perhaps most importantly, Boeser has played in all 69 Canucks games.  Due to injuries and other disruptions in previous years, the former first round pick has never played in more than 74 games.  Boeser has also swung from -20 last winter to +27 (11th in the league) this season.

Shane Bowers – New Jersey Devils
(Waterloo: 2015/16 – 2016/17)

During a January call-up, Bowers was in the Devils' lineup three times.  He was +1, while averaging 6:25 of ice time per night.  Bowers returned to Utica of the AHL after a January 15th appearance for New Jersey, however he hasn't played for the Comets since February 2nd.

Jack Drury – Carolina Hurricanes
(Waterloo: 2016/17 – 2017/18)

Drury had played in every Hurricanes game through a March 9th road win against the New Jersey Devils.  However, he has missed all six Carolina contests since then.  NHL.com lists Drury as being out of the Hurricanes lineup with a lower body injury for a Thursday night game against the Philadelphia Flyers.  Shortly before this prolonged absence, Drury played his 100th career regular season game on February 29th.  For the season in 63 appearances, he has eight goals and 19 assists with a +7 plus/minus differential.

Mark Friedman – Vancouver Canucks
(Waterloo: 2012/13 – 2013/14)

During the past four months, Friedman has generally been Vancouver's blue line insurance policy.  He has been in the lineup three times (February 11th, February 13th, March 3rd) since the beginning of December.  Despite those limited opportunities, Friedman is two games shy of matching the 23 appearances he made last season for the Pittsburgh Penguins.  His career high for games played was 26 for Pittsburgh in 2021/22.  Vancouver has 13 regular season games remaining, including tonight at home against the Montreal Canadiens.

Vinnie Hinostroza – Pittsburgh Penguins
(Waterloo: 2010/11 – 2012/13)

During March, Hinostroza has four goals and four assists over seven games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the American Hockey League.  His last NHL appearance was on New Year's Eve.  During 14 NHL games earlier this season, Hinostroza had one goal and two assists.

Jacob MacDonald – San Jose Sharks
(Waterloo: 2009/10 – 2010/11)

On March 9th, MacDonald got back to action after missing seven games.  During the second half of this season, the 31-year-old has seen a couple of prolonged absences.  He has continued to skate as both a defenseman and a forward at times this year.  MacDonald does not have enough time to match the 58 games he played in last winter, split between San Jose and the Colorado Avalanche.  After scoring six goals in 17 games before Christmas, MacDonald is seeking his first point during 10 games (and counting) since the holidays.   

Brandon Montour – Florida Panthers
(Waterloo: 2013/14 – 2014/15)

Montour had his best year in the NHL during 2022/23.  Expectations for this regular season were tempered by a summer surgery, but the 29-year-old blue-liner certainly seems to have found his form.  Since February 17th, Montour has recorded six multipoint nights.  That includes three-point efforts versus Buffalo (February 27th) and Detroit (March 2nd).  Montour is up to six goals and 21 assists in just 52 games.  Those 27 points tie him with Jack Drury for the fourth-most among Waterloo alumni in the NHL this season.

Tom Novak – Nashville Predators
(Waterloo: 2014/15)

With 13 Nashville Predators games left to go, Novak is 11 points away from two milestones.  If Novak can record almost a point-per-game and add to his 15 goals and 24 assists he may reach 50 points in 2023/24.  Those 11 points would also give him 100 at the NHL level during his career.  Novak does have seven points during his last eight appearances (three goals, four assists).  Just seven other Black Hawks alumni have ever reached the 100-point threshold in the NHL.  Novak ranks fifth in scoring on the Nashville roster this season.

Joe Pavelski – Dallas Stars
(Waterloo: 2002/03 – 2003/04)

Pavelski became the first former Black Hawk to play in 70 games this season when the Stars topped Arizona 5-2 on Wednesday.  That makes this the 13th time in his NHL career that Pavelski has skated in 70 or more games.  He has played in every Dallas contest since the beginning of the 2020/21 season.  At 1,320 regular season appearances, Pavelski is up to seventh all-time among American players.  He has 24 goals – four away from matching last year – and 58 total points in 2023/24.  The Stars are part of a three-way tie for the NHL Central Division lead.

Cal Petersen – Philadelphia Flyers
(Waterloo: 2010/11 – 2013/14)

Petersen played in his fifth, and most recent, game of this NHL season on February 25th.  The loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins moved his record to 2-2-0.  Since the beginning of March, Petersen has been very busy for Lehigh Valley in the AHL.  In seven recent contests for the Flyers' affiliate, Petersen is 3-3-1 with a 1.97 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.

Rem Pitlick – Chicago Blackhawks
(Waterloo: 2014/15)

Chicago was shorthanded coming out of the NHL's Christmas break.  The Blackhawks made a deal to acquire Pitlick from Pittsburgh, and the forward played in nine games.  As Chicago got healthier, Pitlick was assigned to the AHL's Rockford IceHogs.  Since arriving there, he has six goals and 10 assists in 14 games.

Dylan Samberg – Winnipeg Jets
(Waterloo: 2016/17)

The Jets are making a strong bid to win the NHL Central Division.  Winnipeg has 93 points and is currently tied for the top spot with Colorado and Dallas.  The Jets own a game-in-hand on the Avalanche and two on the Stars.  Samberg has played in all but two games.  Both of those scratches were recent: March 15th against Anaheim and March 17th at Columbus.  Nonetheless, Samberg's 66 games-played are already three more than last season.  He has a goal, plus 15 assists with a +14 plus/minus mark.

Zach Sanford – Chicago Blackhawks
(Waterloo: 2013/14)

Earlier this month, Sanford played in three consecutive Chicago games, including two against the Arizona Coyotes, for whom he started the season.  The other appearance was against the Washington Capitals: the team which drafted Sanford in 2013, and for whom he made his NHL debut.  He notched an assist versus the Caps.  That gives him six this season and four for Chicago since being claimed on waivers.  Sanford joined the Rockford IceHogs last week and has skated in three games following the reassignment.

Craig Smith – Dallas Stars
(Waterloo: 2006/07-2008-09)

Wednesday night, Smith scored against Arizona, helping the Stars to a 5-2 win.  It was the third consecutive game with a goal by the 34-year-old.  He hadn't done that since March of 2022 when he was a member of the Boston Bruins.  Smith has never scored in four consecutive games within one regular season.  He will have the opportunity on Friday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.  With 10 goals in 2023/24, Smith already has one more than he recorded last year split between Boston and Washington.  He has accumulated at least 12:30 of ice time in each of the last three Stars games.

Where Are They Now features are presented by Karen's Print Rite, 2515 Falls Avenue in Waterloo.