The Waterloo Black Hawks have added forward Jack Torr and defenseman Chris Baird-Gajdos in preparation for the 2026/27 United States Hockey League season, the team announced Friday.
Baird-Gajdos made his league debut with the Madison Capitols in 2024 and was a regular in their lineup last winter. Torr spent the recently completed campaign with the Fargo Force and was ranked 204th among North American prospects by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft. Both skaters arrive in Waterloo to complete earlier trades with Madison and Fargo.
Combined, they have over 100 games of USHL regular season and playoff experience.
Baird-Gajdos saw action in 49 Capitols regular season contests, then all 11 Madison playoff matchups. The New York-native scored three times and notched 11 assists. He had a multipoint (one goal, one assist) game against the Black Hawks on January 16th. Baird-Gajdos showed his versatility that night, skating on left wing throughout the game while the Capitols were short on forwards. He played in one game as an affiliate during the 2024/25 schedule. This spring, Madison reached the Eastern Conference Final series.
"Chris is coming off a great playoff run with Madison; he fits what we are looking for on the back end," said Black Hawks General Manager Kevin Gibson. "Getting a guy at his age with a year of experience in the league is hard to do. He's a big body that moves well and has some offensive ability. He's also willing to stand up for himself and his teammates."
Torr helped Fargo to the Western Conference Final to complete a steady USHL rookie season. The Connecticut recruit was on the ice 43 times during the regular slate. Torr notched two goals and eight assists. He also produced a +9 plus/minus differential, while bringing size (6-feet, 2-inches and 192 pounds) to the Force lineup. Torr is the fourth NHLCS-ranked draft prospect the Black Hawks have added since the end of the regular season, either via trades or the USHL Draft.
"We felt Jack would add a different dimension to our group for next year, with his size and skating. He will provide a different element on the bigger ice sheet," Gibson noted. "He plays with high energy, while making strong plays both off the rush and in the offensive zone. He's a hard guy to play against, and we are excited about having Jack in Waterloo."
Friday's announcement follows news of three other experienced USHL additions earlier this month. Ryder Shea, Ryan Poirier, and Jack Kultgen were also acquired through trades, Shea and Poirier from the Sioux City Musketeers and Kultgen from the Green Bay Gamblers.
